


Vanilla

by Shesjustsassy



Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Humor, Beta Wanted, Explicit Language, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Love at First Sight, Politics, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Torture, Unrequited Love, mild depictions of violence, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-03 06:03:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 58,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1733759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shesjustsassy/pseuds/Shesjustsassy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>COMPLETE</b><br/>Steve Rogers moves to Washington D.C to join SHIELD's anti-terroism team STRIKE with the intentions of helping people. But thanks to the constant pushing and teasing from Clint and Natasha he is pushed to re-enter the dating world and adjust to life in the 21st century.<br/>So when he goes to buy flowers for a date, he isn't expecting to fall for the girl who sells them to him.<br/>Turns out his original intention of helping people gets turned on him in a way he least expected it to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Flower Girl

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to make a note that this story begins during the two years between the attack on New York and the first appearance of the Winter Soldier. So I have included Agent Barton and am leaving Sam Wilson (The Falcon) until much later in the series. I have a few chapters already written up but I'm not sure how well this will be received so let me know if you like it? 
> 
> Kudos maybe? Throw me a bone? 
> 
> Another quick note the rating may or may not go up depending on how brave I am! 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter has been revised. So for any newcomers, enjoy!
> 
> Kudo. Comment.
> 
> XOXO
> 
> sassy

Chapter One: Flower Girl. 

 

The cool breeze ruffling the hair of passerby's was the only reminder of a cold morning melding to a pleasantly warm afternoon. The shoppers of the avenue enjoyed outdoor lunches and the pleasant ﬂoral scents from the corner ﬂower shop. 

 

This said ﬂower shop had beautiful displays open and spilling out onto the street. Occasionally, the corner would overpopulate with people stopping to purchase a bouquet to take back home, to preserve this perfect afternoon. 

 

Briskly walking the streets on a mission, Steve Rogers himself could not help but take notice of this beautiful day. Occasionally, taking time to observe families and couples of all kinds bask in the afternoon sun with shopping and dining. 

 

Zeroing in on the task at hand, he closed in on his target stopping to survey the splendor. The ﬂowers were displayed in tin barrels with chalk board signs to identify their species. He sighed openly. _What the hell was he supposed to get a dame for a first date anyway?_

 

"Do you need any help?" 

 

He spotted the owner of the voice smiling at him from the protection of the black and white striped awning. She was young and petite he realized as he unconsciously tucked his cap lower. 

 

Since the advertisement of the upcoming opening at the Smithsonian exhibition for Captain America, Steve had been in constant fear of being recognized. It only brought unwanted attention that he didn't need.

 

He smiled looking down at his toes. Having stood starring at the ﬂowers for quite some time, she was in her right to wonder if he was going to purchase anything. 

 

"I uhm-" He cleared his throat. 

 

"First date?" Her twinkling eyes paired with her gentle smile were all too knowing. By now she had stepped into the brightness of the sun towards him but still kept her distance. 

 

She approached an opposing row of ﬂowers adjusting a few. Steve felt his cheeks redden. 

He didn't even want to go on this date. Mariah, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent in archiving, was nice enough. But he had only asked her out for coffee to get Natasha and her constant teasing off his back. He had finally had enough of missions filled of prodding from either her or Agent Barton. 

 

Enough was enough; he'd take her out for coffee and that was that. So ﬂowers were the least this girl deserved. _But did dames even like ﬂowers anymore? Was it too old fashioned?_

 

"Here." 

 

Steve looked down at the offered bouquet. He was quickly brought back into reality. Smiling at the petite florist, he felt his blush seep to his neck. 

Not only had he lost himself to thoughts but upon a good look at the girl, he had to remind himself of the appropriate amount of time to stare was. 

She smiled gently again as if knowing what he was thinking. 

"They're peonies".

His face fell, so she gestured to the bouquet.

"Peonies. They're in season right now. Perfect for a first date, nothing too romantic or promising like roses. Girls like them and they’re in fashion right now” she smiled to herself at the last bit, her eyes twinkled again. "But they're sweet you know?" 

 

Steve was silent for a moment before he realized it was his cue to add something.

"Yeah. They're perfect." He added lamely kicking himself. Once he was dazzled it was a hard to remain indifferent. He had always had a hard time talking to women. That was something that hadn't changed with the injection of the SSS. 

 

"Perfect." She smiled turning to head back into the shop. Steve smiled and followed her. She had ducked under the counter divider. He took a glance around the store. 

 

The walls were painted a dark grey. Questionable for a ﬂower store, was his first impression. But he realized as he looked at the ﬂowers arranged by the wall it staged the perfect background. For a moment he itched to sketch a particularly picturesque arrangement in all white ﬂowers. 

 

"Five bucks even unless there's anything else I can get you?" His head snapped to her. She looked as comfortable as a cheshire cat with her elbows leaning on the cash register. 

 

Steve smiled approaching this counter, "Nope that'll be it ma'am." Her eyebrows shot up and smiled taking the bouquet and began cutting the stems. "I'll wrap it up, pretty for your date. It's all about the presentation." 

 

"Thank you." Steve smiled at her shyly. The two fell into comfortable silence as she worked on the bouquet.

Steve took a moment to study her unabashedly. Her skin was pale but not quite the shade to burn easily in the sun. He watched fascinated as she tucked a stray piece of hair that escaped her braid, behind her ear. _She was lovely,_ he decided. 

 

Steve started, as her head suddenly snapped up to look behind him, eyes narrowing. Curious he turned his gaze to zone in on what could be so interesting. He narrowed in on what she must have noticed. 

Three girls surrounded a fourth member who seemed to be crying as the other's jeered at her. Steve concentrated on what they were saying. 

 

"Lucy floozy!" They chanted. Another jeered at her tears, cooing at her. “Where’d you get those clothes Lucy? Out of the loser closet?” All girls laughed obnoxiously at this. Steve froze, as his eyebrows knit together. 

 

She climbed under the counter quickly, muttering "excuse me" to him, nearly running out of the store. 

 

"What do you three think you're doing?" 

 

 The three girls whirled around quickly. They couldn't have been much older than eleven or twelve.

"What's it to you?" The girl with blond hair was first spoke with attitude.

"Are you serious?" Flower girl replied incredulously. "You're in front of my store making a scene of bullying this poor girl and you think no one is going to care? You're lucky I didn't call the cops." 

By now Steve had abandoned his post near the cash register to move outside to watch the spectacle. He noted immediately, other storeowners were out watching as well as shoppers. 

 

"You can't call the cops on us." The brunette spoke up this time, looking nervous. 

 

"You wanna bet? You're publically harassing this girl, I have witnesses." She gestured to the audience behind them. "It's illegal to bully or harrass anyone no matter what age you are."

 

The group sputtered for a moment, before the blonde spoke again. "Wait until my mom hears about this!" 

 

"Hah!" Flower girl barked with laughter. "Please do, in fact have them call the store! I can't wait to explain to all of your mother's what you lot do with your spare time." 

 

All girls looked like gasping fish after her little speech. The crowd that had gathered clapped loudly. All three girls sent a scorning gaze at Flower girl as they exited the scene. 

 

She seemed to bristle at the audacity of the girls as she approached the victim in question. 

"Lucy come sit inside the shop. I'll call your mom."

The statement left no room for argument as she allowed the dark haired woman to wrap her arm around her shoulder. 

 

Steve followed the two back into the store watching as she lead Lucy to a seat behind the counter.

"Why do you let them do that to you Lou?" She questioned as she returned to wrapping Steve's abandoned bouquet. She placed individual stem water pots before wrapping the bouquet with brown butcher paper. 

 

"They just follow me home all the time. I try to make them stop. I even try to leave school at different times so they wont follow me." 

Lucy looked sullen as she wiped at her freckled face. Her light brown hair stuck to her face as she crossed her arms starring at the floor. 

 

Steve sighed, for as much as the world changed some things just don't ever go away. Humanity's need to taunt those who are different may just be a fact of life. 

 

"Here you go." Flower girl smiled as she handed Steve a perfectly wrapped bouquet with a matching pink bow that complemented the shade of the peonies. 

 

Steve reached back for his wallet. But she quickly waved her hand in a dismissive fashion.

"They're on me. Sorry about all of that. It was unprofessional of me." 

Steve frowned, "No." Steve smiled at the sullen girl. "That was the right thing to do."

Flower girl smiled. "Thanks. But they're still on me. Think of it as a good luck from me to you." Her grinned increased. 

 

"Thank you." Steve smiled gently, feeling his abandoned blush creep back to his cheeks. 

 

She offered her hand. "Adelaide. I try to know the names of all my customers." 

 

Steve smiled grasping her hand and he noticed for the first time, Adelaide look shy. "Steve", he returned. 

 

"Well, good luck on your date today Steve."

He looked at her one last time. "Thank you, Adelaide." 

He turned and exited the flower shop completely unaware of the two girls who had met eyes and began to giggle after his exit.


	2. What to Expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of smiles in this chapter I realized in editing. But I supposed when you are attracted to someone there tends to be a lot of smiling involved. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Two: What to Expect 

 

 

It took three days to convince himself that visiting the ﬂower shop again would only cause problems. It was unfair to drag an innocent into the life he led. Let alone the problem of actually revealing who Steve was.

 

So he wasn't expecting a week later when he was taking his usual morning run through Washington memorials and into a nearby park that he would bump into her running towards him. 

 

Well, not exactly at him. Just in the opposite direction. Her eyes were closed, but it was undoubtedly her. It briefly crossed his mind that closing your eyes and running was probably a bad decision to make, before her eyes snapped open. 

 

She wasn't looking at him and he wondered if he could casually run past, leaving her oblivious to his pinning. 

 

But when her eyes met his, there was a brief moment of recognition before suddenly her eyes were no longer there. Steve abruptly stopped his run in a rush to aid her. 

 

She had tripped to her knees and was now a giggling mess on the floor. Steve smiled understanding her embarrassment, "Are you okay?" He chuckled. 

 

 

"No" She managed to get out before returning to her fit of giggles. She was hiding her face in her hands but abruptly stopped when Steve picked her up. A rush of "Oh my god. What are you doing?" flew from her mouth. 

 

He placed her under the shade of the tree and stepped back to give her some space. Her face was obviously flushed as she hid it in her knees that she had tucked to her chin. 

 

"You're bleeding." Steve commented still smiling at her wondering when she'd get over her embarrassment. Her hands covered the wounds. 

"Oh please spare me and continue your run."

She peeked at him suddenly. "What was that even? A sprint?" Adelaide inquired incredulously. "Or was that just your pace?" She added with snark. 

 

Steve grinned. He was one to never cover his own amazement at the body he had received thanks to the serum. For once in his life he was the star and he'd be damned if he didn't revel in it. 

 

"No that was my pace." 

 

Finally, she lifted her head from its hiding place, her cheeks flushed, starring at him with narrowed eyes. 

"That’s insane and completely unfair."

His only reaction to her was to increase his grin. 

 

"You don't even look out of breath." She added, her shoulders rising and falling with her increased intake of oxygen.

"So what are you a Navy Seal or something? Seriously this is the last time I run here. All these military personal make the average Joe a joke."

She stood and brushed her knees in an attempt to clean off the wounds. 

 

With the dignity she had left it was completely in Adelaide's intentions to swiftly leave the scene of the crime and pretend this morning had never happened. 

She was mortified.

The very same handsome man who purchased ﬂowers from her for a date a week ago, had probably gone out with some gorgeous tall girl with a killer body. For him to witness her completely embarrass herself by falling was enough to make her want to crawl under a rock. 

Adelaide felt a slight headache coming on from all the blushing. 

 

 _Okay Addy,_ she thought to herself. _Walk away with all your dignity and for the love of everything don't limp_. Her face flushed harder as she stood to take her leave. 

Steve looked down at her knees it was obvious she would bruise to pair with her scrapes. He was suddenly hit with a strong memory of playing as a small child and falling and injuring his own knees. "Here" Steve alerted her to his intention to help her. 

 

"No-no-no." Came another rushed response from her end. "Please." She added. 

She began a slow pace back on the path. "Nice bumping into you." She threw over her shoulder before walking away as fast as she could. 

 

For a moment Steve waited shocked. He could understand her mortification, falling like that. He put his hands on his hips debating a minute before sprinting the few yards she had separated them with. 

 

"Adelaide!"

He called, tipping his chin down as she spun to look at him with pleading eyes. "Oh, Steve please-" she sighed dramatically.

"I think I may die of embarrassment." She exclaimed blushing up at him and he chuckled in response. "Let me at least see you home." 

 

"Its fine" She laughed dryly. "Seriously I fall all the time, just another memory to the collection really." 

Maybe this time he'd fall back getting the hint. She turned to walk away again. The feeling of frustration hit her when she realized he would stick to misplaced chivalry. She sighed.

"You're going to walk me home whether I want you to or not?" 

His smile was disarming and made her feel guilty for her treatment of him. 

 

"It would keep me up at night if I didn't." 

 

She smiled half-heartedly at his response. "Can't have that, then" She replied and the two fell into silence. 

 

As they exited the park her mood seemed to lighten as she got over her embarrassment. "So how did your date go?" 

 

Steve stiffened immediately, "It was swell." 

Adelaide responded with laughter, "poor girl no need for sarcasm. Not your type?"

Steve's eyebrows knitted together, he was trying to be nice. Mariah was a nice girl, just not for Steve.

"I guess." He responded quietly, still slightly confused as to why she would take his response as sarcastic. 

 

Adelaide twitched her lips to the side. "So are you a marine?" She met his gaze when he looked at her. 

"Something like that." With his response she didn't press further, probably some CIA job or something. 

 

In D.C there were plenty of government types to spare. Sometimes in crowds Adelaide would have a moment of anxiety, where she wondered if everyone was in on the secrets the government kept so distant from the general public. 

 

The silence stretched awkwardly and for a moment she wondered if her behavior had completely ruined it. She was thankful when he finally spoke up. 

 

"So do you own the ﬂower shop?" 

 

"No, it's my mom's. I just graduated university and I took a year off to spend with her." She laughed suddenly, "I think I may have traumatized her going away to school." Steve smiled down at her. 

"Where did you attend?" 

 

"Georgetown, my dad's alma mater." 

 

"Wow." He stuffed his hands in his sweat pant pockets. 

 

In the 1940s, Georgetown was just as prestigious obviously, so he could only assume she was intelligent or at the very least hardworking.

"What was your major?" He smiled at her again. 

 

"English" She smiled back at him. "A focus on the classics." 

 

"So you like to read?" He prompted. 

"Oh yes. But to be honest I had no idea what I was doing there. The goal was Georgetown. Once I got there I never really thought about what I would study per say."

She shrugged. 

"So I picked something generic that I was good at." There was a pause before she prompted him. "What about you? What do you like?" 

 

Steve looked up to the sky briefly. "Art." 

 

"Really?" She snorted before quickly covering her mouth and looking at him quickly. 

 

"What I don't look like I can like art?" He wondered allowed. There was a brief flash in his mind of little Steve Rogers. He wondered if he looked like an art student. 

 

"It's not that. I suppose there is no look to an art student." 

It was a half-lie Adelaide realized as she spoke it. On campus the art students were easily distinguished. There was even a visible difference between English and Science majors. 

 

"Well you look athletic, for all I know you could be a professional football player." 

 

Steve snorted earning an embarrassed glance from Adelaide. "So what kind of art?" She continued hoping to save herself. 

"Drawing." He looked down at her. 

 

"Wow really? I can’t draw a stick figure straight." 

 

Steve smiled and laughed glancing at her again to see her grinning at him. "Really nothing artistic?" 

 

"Well." Her face grew serious. "Flower arranging is supposedly one artistic outlet". Steve smiled nodding in agreement. 

 

"I also uhm-" She paused, getting quiet. "I paint, but nothing good. Just for fun, actually". 

 

Steve looked down again. "No artist really appreciates their work. I'm sure its great."

It was Adelaide's turn to snort, "Well I'm sure it greatly sucks." He looked down at her quirking his eyebrow; she responded by grinning freely at him. 

 

By now they had made their way from Monument Park and into the residential area nearby. Adelaide had led them to an apartment complex not too far from Steve's own and the ﬂower shop. She walked up the stoop and stopped to turn to him.

"Well this is me. Thanks for walking me home, you didn't have to." 

 

With Adelaide's gain of a few steps she was now eye level with Steve. "It was my pleasure. Now I can have a good nights rest." She returned his remark with a giggle. "Well thank god for that." 

 

There was a sudden pause where both parties were confused as to what they should do next. Steve looked down suddenly realizing that the blood on her knees had trickled down her shins and into her socks and shoes. 

 

"You should really clean that up." 

 

"Oh! I didn't even feel it." Adelaide returned shocked. She quickly turned fishing her key from her wrist wallet. She looked back at him. "You can come in if you want, I'd hate to have a bloody ending." 

 

Steve made a face, knitting his eyebrows together. But when he looked at her face that was failing to keep straight he realized she had purposely made a terrible joke. 

 

His laughter laced with hers as they walked up the stairs to the second floor. She opened the door to her apartment. "Make yourself at home. I'm just going to clean this up. 

 

She walked into what he assumed was her bathroom. He could here the water running shortly after. 

 

Her living plan was open with the kitchen on the right flowing easily into the living room. The hallway seemed to lead to a bedroom and bathroom. It was small, but decorated bright and airy. Like many of the complexes in this neighborhood it was old with hardwood floors. She had managed to work with the decoration and he decided he liked the warmth of the space very much. 

 

She emerged from the bathroom barefooted. He assumed she washed her legs in the tub. She walked past him to sit on her couch. She smiled up at him putting her first aid down in front of her. "You can sit down if you like." She quietly retrieved an ointment tube from the kit and applied it to both knees before sealing it with band-aids. 

 

She stood a moment later. "See?" She gestured, "All better. Now you'll really sleep soundly.” Steve smiled at her again feeling awkward in her space. She walked past him to her kitchen. 

"Are you thirsty?" She asked opening a cabinet for a glass. 

 

"No thank you." He replied as he watched her take a second cup down anyway. "Common running like that? You must at least want cold water?" She opened the fridge and pressed a button that seemed to be a built in spout. 

 

The technology still astounded him at times, even though he had seen much more frivolous and advanced systems than a simple refrigerated water system. 

 

She handed him the cup, which he took. "Thank you." 

 

They both drank silently finishing their glasses quickly. Adelaide laughed. "I'm sorry I'm holding you hostage here. You're free to go!" Her cheeks reddened as if it finally occurred to her that he might have not wanted to stay. 

 

"I like your company." Steve offered quickly. But then blushed realizing that may have come off desperately. The ﬂower girl named Adelaide, with her confidence and humor was something else to Steve Rogers. He concluded to himself that he had enjoyed their run in very much. 

"Thanks. Ditto." 

 

Steve stopped smiling. _Ditto?_

"Oh uhm, same is what I meant. Sorry." She quickly explained much to her confusion. _What was he twenty-sevenish? That couldn't have been too much time between childhoods to make much of a difference_ , Adelaide wondered. 

 

Her confusion was suddenly sobering to Steve. "Well I have to get going. I hope your knees don't hurt too much." Steve inclined his body toward the exit; a cue he was hoping to leave. 

 

Adelaide wasn't sure what had gone wrong but she felt as if she had suddenly misjudged him. Perhaps he was just polite and had no real interest beside that. 

 

"Oh. Well thanks again for walking me home." 

 

She navigated her kitchen to walk him to the door opening it. Steve nearly passed the threshold when he stopped. "I'm not-" he paused grasping for the right thing to say. "Ready for anything steady, Adelaide. I'm sorry, I think you're beautiful." 

 

And there it was Steve Rogers thought Adelaide was beautiful and said so to her face. 

 

Her cheeks flamed as she tried to process the compliment and refusal in one. 

 

 _Take a chance, Rogers_.He coached himself as he leaned down to kiss her warm cheek. She smelled like vanilla and he suddenly felt himself get warm all over. 

 

"I wasn't, expecting anything, either.” She added awkwardly. She was looking anywhere but his face suddenly grasping hold of the door with the hand hidden from his view. 

 

She smiled at him, which he returned. He left her there, starring at his retreating form. She wondered what exactly she expected from a gorgeous man whom she met buying ﬂowers for another.


	3. Groceries

Chapter Three: Groceries 

 

He was heading home from a run when he spotted her down the street. She stood with her arms full of groceries waiting for the signal to change so she could continue her trek back to her apartment. 

It had been five days since he saw her last and she hadn’t left his mind since. The look of confusion on her face prevented him from falling asleep easily more than once. He couldn’t help but feel as if the fates were aligning as he starred at her from down the street. He closed in on the end of the curb right in her eye line. 

“Hey Adelaide” He waved, awkwardly smiling. 

It was immediately knocked from him and replaced with a sinking feeling. She had looked up to acknowledge whoever had called her. But when her eyes met his she immediately blushed and ducked her face into the bag carried between both arms. She turned to the opposite direction and trotted quickly with the rest of the crowd away from him. 

Steve starred disbelievingly at the obvious snub. His stomach churned as he ran across the street after her; sprinting to avoid oncoming traffic. 

A few honks and angry shouts later, he was closed in behind her. It was as if his body had gone completely on autopilot. There was no longer a regard to what was fair to her. He wanted to learn more about this flower girl and share in her smiles. 

“Adelaide! Hey!” Steve called, finally catching up taking further steps to stop in front of her. 

Her eyebrows knit together and her eyes were guarded. “Hi Steve.” She muttered. Steve visibly deflated. His arm reached to the back of his neck to rub it. “Hi” he returned lamely. 

She wasn’t impressed and made a move to walk around him. 

Adelaide had had time stew. After getting over the shock of a man calling her beautiful paired with the kiss to her cheek; it had finally dawned on her a day after that he had rejected her as a possibility. 

She had no time to mull over “what ifs” and had decided to let the event go. So when he called to her from across the street she wished it was in her power to turn invisible.

She looked up at him, tilting her chin up. “I’ve got delicate groceries that’ll spoil if I don’t refrigerate soon.” She made another attempt to step around him, which he thwarted. 

 

“Here I can carry them home for you.” He offered attempting to take the bag out her arms but she stepped back. 

“Why are you so pushy? I’ve got it Mr. Gentleman.” 

Both winced as soon as the words were delivered so cruelly. Adelaide looked down. “I’m sorry.” She muttered. Steve was quick to dismiss it, “No I, I wasn’t fair to you.” 

“Actually,” Adelaide finally looked him in the eye. “You were completely fair. You don’t want to really date me or possibly anyone else. You let me know that. It’s fine. There’s no need to apologize. We’ve only what,” She paused a moment as if thinking, “had maybe a grand total of one hour interaction.” She smiled at him but it didn’t touch her eyes. “We don’t owe each other anything, you drew the line its fine. We’re good.” She smiled again this time a little more genially. 

“I know,” Steve paused taking a deep breath, akin to the kind one takes before jumping into a cold pool. “It’s just I haven’t stopped thinking of you since we last saw each other.” _One hundred and twenty two hours roughly,_ he thought, but he wasn’t going to admit he had counted. 

The look on her face was worth the risk. He smiled down at her, she had to at least be a foot shorter than him, he noted. “I’m sorry.” She blurted out, which only added to his smile and sent a jolt through his body. 

“So can I help you with your groceries now?” He made a move to take them again from her arms and she quietly relinquished them. The weight of the groceries in the reusable bag was easily held in the one hand, placing the other on the small of her back to head her back to the intersection. 

He watched as she blushed, allowing him to do what he was doing. “I figured the long way home was taking one for the team.” She muttered. 

“I’m sorry.” He returned, removing his hand back to his side as they glanced at each other again. They walked quietly back towards her apartment. After a beat she finally broke the silence.

“Do you want to get coffee? I can put my groceries away and we can go.” She said this rather quickly as if it were taking all of her courage to even ask it. 

“How about,” He slung the grocery bag over his shoulder. “We get dinner tonight instead?” He smiled down to comfort her. Her eyes twinkled as she fought a smirk of satisfaction off her face. 

“Okay.” She replied quietly, walking up her stoop to unlock the door. Steve followed her up the stairs and waited patiently as she unlocked her front door. She attempted to take the bag from him but he refused it opting to open the door for her allowing her in first. She smiled uncomfortably, not used to being babied. 

He hoisted the groceries with a sound thump on the counter. 

“So say six?”

He took a little step closer to her. She grinned at him, “and I half expected you to say eighteen hundred hours.” He laughed with her before responding. “Well then, eighteen hundred hours it is then.” They smiled at each other. 

She took a step towards him as well. The pair was lost in a magnetic pull between each other. 

She was almost completely lost in him when the phone rang shrilly behind her. “Oh!” She called out startled quickly turning around to check the caller I.D. “It’s my mother.” She explained reaching for it. “Sorry I’ll make it quick.” She sent him an apologetic glance before turning away. 

“Mama?” She answered. Steve thought that was initially strange before hearing the returning voice on the other end. She was speaking in a language he couldn’t decipher from that volume, but it didn’t have the pattern of English. 

“No mother I just got home.” Pause. “I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier I took a little longer at the grocery store than expected.” Pause. “Mom I’ve got to go I have a guest.” Pause. “Mom, seriously I have to go now.” Pause. 

Steve waited patiently balancing on his toes. “Okay mommy, I love you” Pause. “Bye.” She turned around after hanging up the phone. “Sorry about that.” 

“What language was she speaking?” 

“Oh uhm Spanish.”

“I didn’t know you were” He paused, _oh no what was politically correct._ “Spanish?” 

Adelaide laughed loudly, “Half anyway; my mom’s from Spain. That’s funny you would say Spanish, most people say Latino or Hispanic.” 

Steve stood straighter, “Is that not right?” Adelaide laughed again. “No I’m sure it’s fine. I don’t mind.” She smiled. 

“So” He shoved his hands in his pockets, “better get going and shower and whatnot. I’ve got a date tonight.” 

Adelaide’s eyebrows shot up quickly catching on. “What a coincidence so do I” He chuckled with her moving towards the door. She opened it for him leaning on the door. He was reluctant to leave, but the promise of an evening with her made it bearable. 

“See you tonight” his voice had dropped a note and he tipped his chin down leaning slowly towards her side. She seemed to understand his intention and offered him her cheek. 

Unlike the last time, the sweet kiss had lingered a millisecond longer with the promise that this was not a final goodbye. He retracted looking deeply into her brown eyes, biting his lip, as he stood to his full length. 

“See you at eighteen hundred hours, here then?” She confirmed, suddenly the first wave of date jitters hitting her. He simply nodded, “Yes, ma’am” He turned to walk toward the landing and as he was walking down the stairs he kept eye contact with her as she bid her farewell. 

He may or may not have also taken a long glance at her short-clad legs as he turned to watch his step.


	4. Cactus

Chapter Four: Cactus

Adelaide could have either kicked or thanked herself for not getting Steve’s number. She was riddled with jitters revolving their date. 

What should she wear? Dress up or casual? He was tall enough for her to get away in heels but what if they went somewhere casual? 

There was also the fear of disenchantment. What if they crashed and burned?

These thoughts and many more swarmed in her head as she showered closer to the time he was supposed to arrive. She took her time drying and curling her hair, making sure it smelled sweet after the torture of the heating tools.

After applying minimal makeup she dressed in a halter summer dress. It was a favorite of hers, with a retro vibe; the shape of the dress hugged her chest before forgivingly flaring at the waste. Just as the doorbell rang downstairs for her, she had managed to adjust the straps of her wedges and spray a dainty perfume. 

She held the buzzer, talking to whoever had buzzed her, “Hello?” 

Steve’s disembodied voice was quick to reply over the intercom. “Hi” there was a pause. “It’s Steve”. 

Adelaide snorted a laugh; he was just so darn adorable at times. She pressed the intercom again, “I’ll buzz you in!” She replied. There was a “thanks” that was interrupted by the buzzing noise that accompanied the door opening. 

“Okay Addie, don’t spazz. You’ve got this.” She muttered quietly to herself. 

 

Steve walked up the flight of stairs that led to her apartment. _There was something comforting about knowing exactly where your date lives_ , he decided. There was no worrying over messing up the address. 

He knocked on the door and waited patiently for her to open it. When she did the breath was knocked from his lungs. He was used to her dressing casually whenever he saw her and he liked her just so. But she had completely transformed in a span of a few hours. 

“You clean up nice” She offered breaking the awkward moment. 

She could appreciate his crisp plaid shirt tucked into an equally immaculate pair of slacks. She blushed wondering if “dapper” was an appropriate description. 

“You,” Steve paused, “Look amazing.” 

“Thank you.” She crinkled her eyebrows, “What’s that?” She pointed to whatever was peaking from behind his back. 

In his amazement, he had forgotten that he was hiding a gift for her. He produced the mysterious item to show her and was immediately pleased when her face lit up. 

“A cactus?” She inquired. 

“For you” He handed it to her. 

She smiled grandly, immensely pleased. “Thank you so much. I love it.” The cactus was tiny in a small ceramic pot, budding a bright pink flower. Adelaide felt that this was the most thoughtful gift she had received from a first date. Not that she had many. 

“I figured since you worked at a flower shop, you might want a change of pace.” With his hands freed, he shoved them in his slack pockets as he followed her further into the apartment. She walked over to one of the large windows in her living room placing the baby succulent there. 

He watched her as she grabbed a clutch from her couch and approached him. “So where to?” She smiled. “Oh that’s rude of me!” She suddenly exclaimed. “I have suggestions too if you’d like.” 

Steve shook his head dismissively. “Do you like Italian?” 

“I love Italian.” She answered with an enthusiastic nod. 

“There’s this really great place nearby.” 

“Filomena’s?” 

Steve tilted his head slightly. “You’ve been there?” 

“I love it, it’s old school Italian.” She paused reading his expression. “What?”

He simply chuckled rubbing his forehead. “That’s exactly why I like it.” 

With his reply the two grinned exiting her apartment. She locked the door and they made their way to Filomena’s.

As they were seated in the restaurant they engaged in small talk. The interior was dimly lit, with candles at the table, and the walls were littered with black and white photos. 

“So,” Steve began finally allowing his curiosity get to him. “What ever did happen to Lucy?”

Adelaide looked up from her menu, straightening. “Well, I managed to scare the girls from following her home from school. She’s the daughter of one of my neighbors.” She added. “But she’s still getting bullied. They’re thinking of moving her to different school.” 

Steve shook his head. “They shouldn’t do that, she should stand up for herself.” Adelaide’s face fell slightly, “Well she does. They just keep teasing her regardless.” Steve nodded all too familiar with her situation. “You see she’s a year younger then her class. She skipped.” 

Steve met Adelaide’s eyes then. “So she’s smarter than them, so they don’t like it.” 

“Nope.” She agreed. “Actually she was eligible to skip another grade but she whole-heartedly refused.” 

Adelaide paused to run both hands through her glossy hair. “We’re running out of ideas, it’s hard to watch someone you care about get treated like that. I tutored her when she was a kid. I taught her to read at four.” 

Steve’s eyebrows shot up at the confession. “That’s amazing.” 

Adelaide snickered. “I still tease her a tad, I call her ‘my pet monkey’, because I would have her read anything and everything for an audience on command.” She winked harmlessly. 

After the fact they fell into a silence deciding their choices. When the waitress approached to take their orders and leave a basket of bread, they smiled at each other. 

“I’m so hungry” They both admitted simultaneously earning a fit of chuckling, before Steve offered her bread first. 

“So,” Adelaide smiled taking her turn in first date questions. “You like art, you work for something like the CIA?” 

Steve noticeably stiffened. “I” He paused. “I want to be honest, it’s just that my work is highly classified. I’m really not supposed to mention anything.” 

Adelaide remained quiet for a moment chewing her dipped bread then sipping her ice water. “How about I give you a three date pass about what exactly you do for a living. If we make it that far you can maybe just I don’t know give me the gist of it or flash me a badge or something?” 

Steve considered it. “Deal” 

He received another winning smile from Adelaide’s end before she continued. “Have you traveled?” He gave her a suspicious look. “I mean for leisure.” 

“Uhm well, for leisure only within the U.S I’m originally from New York.” 

Her face lit up, “No way. Where’s your accent?” The way she spoke the sentence with a caricature of a New York accent made him laugh. 

“Sorry must’ve lost it.” 

“Boo” she complained laughing with him. 

“Are you from here?” 

There was a moment Steve noted that Adelaide seemed to have fallen into a lost state. “No actually I was born in California we moved to Pennsylvania when I was eleven.” 

“Really? Why?” 

She looked uncomfortable and immediately Steve wished he could eat up his words.

“My brother was a firefighter for New York.” 

Steve suddenly could feel his heart sink. She was using past tenses.

“It was his dream.” 

Steve reached out his hand to grasp hers. Their eyes met in a silent conversation. She smiled sadly in return. 

“Do you have any siblings?” 

Steve shook his head “no” he was an only child. Adelaide suddenly felt like family was not a good discussion point for dinner. 

She inclined her head towards him as if to whisper a secret, he mirrored her actions. “Did you know,” she whispered, “That they have the best spumoni ice cream on the east coast here?” Steve smiled back at her, eyes twinkling. “No kidding?” He replied in a whisper as well. 

She leaned back satisfied, nodding her head. “Yep”. He leaned back as well smiling at her. 

The air between them shifted as they spent the rest of the meal flirting and finding secret ways to make skin contact with one another. With the fact of mutually painful pasts seemed to put the two at ease. It added dimension through the lenses they observed each other from. 

That knowledge alone was very comforting for Steve Rogers, a ninety six year old man in the preserved body he crashed in. He smiled with her and laughed with her and for a moment he could forget that he was a man behind in decades attempting to restart a life while accepting that his past had moved on and lived without him. 

During dessert as she watched him taste the spumoni ice cream he couldn’t help but wonder if the taste would linger on her lips when he kissed her goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like it, kudo it? ;)


	5. Age of Fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be adding some extra tags here. CATWS has a lot of political notions and focuses on how Steve struggles to find where he stands in a morally ambiguous century. So I wanted to make sure I add that to my story. 
> 
> So here's chapter five! There's a little fluff at the end of course! 
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> XOXO

Chapter Five: Age of Fear

 

It was becoming clear to Steve Rogers that the new millennium was an age of fear. He had watched protesters on Capitol Hill screaming at the top of their lungs to free their citizens, with signs dripping read reading: “How Far is Too Far?” “Stop Listening to My Phone Conversations!” 

The invasion didn’t just exist among America’s government and it’s citizens, it was happening all over the world. Countries were listening in on each other, and their own countrymen constantly. The ultimate problem governments faced were when their intentions became common knowledge. That was when the citizens fought back. 

Steve often read in the papers, that in order to escape government persecution, hackers would find sanctuary in foreign countries. The most recent story Steve was following was of a man named, Julian Assange. Assange had leaked sensitive information about the American government making it easily accessible knowledge for the masses. He claimed that the world needed to know what governments were hiding from them. 

He presented the story to Adelaide after the news story broke. She sent him a wry smile, taking the paper from him. 

“Ah, Julian Assange. Quite the hot topic. He’s getting kicked out of Sweden.” 

“Do you think he’s right?” 

Adelaide peered up at Steve from the paper. She hadn’t read the new article in the local paper. She shook her head. “This paper is so biased.” Before putting it down. “Steve, I don’t like talking politics. I went to a university that was very geared towards current events. We pumped out politicians like a factory, only falling short to the holy trinity really.” 

Steve pulled a face. “The holy trinity?” 

“Yale, Harvard, and Princeton.” 

“Ah,” Steve smiled. It was an interesting analogy. 

“But if you’re so keen on my humble opinion.” She began dramatically. “Assange is a whistleblower. I think the government hides their secrets like teenage cool queens in high school. If it’s a secret it’s more desirable, and if you’re in on it you are king. If you’re not in on it, you’re just a commoner; an easily controlled servant.” 

Steve bristled at this. Adelaide watched the inner turmoil that danced in his eyes. “There are so many things wrong with this world Steve, poverty, inequality, sex trafficking, deforestation, global warming, just to name a few.” Adelaide paused. “Humanity has a way of self destructing. We do all of these terrible things to each other and then pretend we’re above all of it. There is no morality anymore, just turning a blind eye to the pains of your neighbors.” 

Steve’s gaze burned into Adelaide’s. “Don’t you just wish we could go back a couple of decades?” He was testing the waters now. 

Adelaide snorted. “Try a couple of centuries, say oh I don’t know the seventeen hundreds; try stopping the industrial revolution?” She shook her head. “No what you’re talking about is Nostalgia.” 

Steve looked down, _that was one way to put it._

“A lot of people want to escape the horrors of today and pretend that a different time period was easier. Humanity at it's core doesn’t change too much I think.” She paused again reading his expression before smiling apologetically. “Sorry, this is why I don’t share political beliefs on my half. It’s like religion everyone doesn’t agree.” 

Steve remained silent for a while mulling over what she had said. “No you’re right, we can’t go back.” There was a far off look in his eye and Adelaide suddenly felt uncomfortable. 

She looked around her apartment awkwardly; she took note that the sun was now casting an orange hue through her windows. She quickly looked up to her kitchen clock and noticed it was long past five’ o’clock. “Oh Steve you said you had to be gone before five!” 

Steve immediately snapped out of his revere and looked at the clock muttering “dammit” under his breath. He quickly stood up from her kitchen table. She quickly followed him as he hustled to the door. 

“I’m sorry to leave like this” He quickly rushed. 

“No, no it’s fine.” She assured. 

Steve’s mind was scrambled still mulling over what she had provided him with. It didn’t bother him, in a way he agreed with her view, it’s just she observed it from a different angle. She was educated in modern society and therefore approached the facts with a more sterile view. Humanity to her was easily broken down to a scientific approach versus Steve’s view on morality and humanity being nearly interchangeable. 

He took a moment to clear his mind of this trouble for a moment. He was shipping out on a STRIKE mission tonight in Eastern Europe, it was time to get his head in the game. 

She looked up at him after swinging the door open for him. “Good luck with whatever it is you have to do.” 

Steve smiled sadly down at her. He took a step into her personal space and pulled her close with his hand on her hips. Adelaide’s hands slid up his arms to rest on his shoulders. It sent a chill through Steve’s body and it suddenly awoke him to everything physical about her. 

She was so very petite and soft. She was warm in his arms and he pulled her flush against him. One hand held onto the small of her back. The other touched her cheek with a feathery like graze tucking some strands of hair behind her ear, and moving to cradle the back of her neck. 

He studied her face for a moment, attempting to preserve a moment he didn’t want to end. This was what it was about; the butterflies, the excitement of familiarizing one with another. 

She seemed to grow impatient with his pace. She heightened herself on her toes towards him with a mischievous smile. Steve smiled to himself meeting her halfway; he nuzzled his nose against hers. 

She giggled quietly in return, before whispering, “kiss me”, and he finally relinquished to her. 

He tilted his head to get better access to her lips brushing them softly with his at first. At once it was all too much, her scent, her warmth, her lips, and the feeling of abandoning her here, without the knowledge of the dangers his job entailed. 

As gently as he could remembering his strength, he crushed her tiny body to his nearly sweeping her toes off the floor. She returned his kiss with equal fever, reaching up to dig her hands into his perfectly kept hair. 

For a moment they basked in each other before Steve felt his phone vibrate in his pants. He sighed; he knew he was being summoned. He immediately slowed the kiss down breaking away. The look he was met with nearly had him sending the phone through the window. He nuzzled her nose again placing a chaste kiss on her lips, backing away. 

She leaned against the doorway crossing her arms in an attempt to preserve his body heat on her. “Be safe,” she murmured. 

He leaned in again to kiss her forehead, careful to keep other body parts safely away. “I will.” 

Pulling away he hurried down the stairs and out of the apartment complex. He should have been more surprised when he noticed a SHIELD issued vehicle parked out front. The window rolled down and Barton smiled from the driver’s seat. 

“What’s in the apartment that has you so late?” He snickered taking in Steve’s unusually tousled hair. 

Steve anxiously looked up to her window hoping she wasn’t watching. He quickly opened the passenger door and clambered in. As Barton drove away from the curb the self-satisfied smirk never left his face. 

“Half an hour late to a call time, that’s not usually you, Steve.” 

Even if Steve wasn’t looking at Clint he could practically hear the laughter laced in his voice. 

“Lets just drop it for now.” He sighed. 

Barton only replied with another smile. “Must be some kind of woman” He replied his eyebrows wiggled suggestively. 

Steve rubbed his head in annoyance. Hell would be the next sixteen hours until drop time.


	6. The Heart That Bleeds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: I'll probably add tags as well. But in this chapter there is hinting at rape, sex trafficking, and torture. Nothing explicit but you've been warned here. 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> XOXO

Chapter Six. The Heart that bleeds. 

 

Ukraine Air Space 20:00

 

The cargo plane that carried the STRIKE team had gone lights out in preparation for the mission. The deep fog the plane flew through was a blessing keeping it further veiled from the ground. 

Absolute stealth was needed to carry out the task at hand. As drop time approached Rumlow and his team of seven SHIELD agents, accompanied by Captain Rogers and Agent Clint Barton huddled together for their briefing. 

“Alright guys, this is our target.” Rumlow pulled a picture onto the screen. “Joseph-Jean Moscow a top SHIELD developer and scientist gone rogue over seven years ago. He was initially stationed in France but thanks to our most recent intelligence is now residing here,” Rumlow minimized the photo on the screen to pull up a blueprint accompanied by a 3-D photo of a large mansion. 

“He’s been selling sensitive information as well as teaming up with” There was a pause again as Rumlow pulled a second photo of a man. “Ukrainian biochemist Yaroslavl Vann. This guy is like a mad scientist” Rumlow glanced at his team and was met by smirks. Both Barton and Rogers kept to their serious expressions. 

Rumlow cleared his throat before continuing. “He’s killed over thirty people within the past decade using them for experimentation. He’s obsessed with the success of the Super Soldier Serum and has been trying to duplicate it.” 

“Every time we get close to capturing either of them. They manage to Houdini us before we even make a drop. This time we’ve got Agent Beauchene as a mole. Moscow has one weak spot.” 

Rumlow pulled up a set of ten photos. “Most of these girls ages range from sixteen to twenty.” He maximized a photo of a blonde woman. 

“Sex trafficking is Moscow’s weak spot it’s how he makes an extra buck. These nine girls as well as the successful extraction of Beauchene are critical. Otherwise they’ll just get sold into slavery and they’ll be lost.” 

Steve felt sick as he examined each of the girl’s photos; his eyes froze at a girl with dark hair and thick eyebrows. Physically, aside from similar hair color she did not resemble Adelaide in the slightest, but there was something in her eyes that immediately had him thinking of his girl back home. They both held a certain softness for the world.

“From Beauchene’s last check-in Moscow is indeed home. He thinks our agent is new and as she put it, is about to ‘break her in’. That was at fifteen hundred hours.”

“So our objective is a crucial stealth infiltration. No time for Moscow to get away. As well as the rescue of all ten women.” 

The group nodded. “Sound it off Cap.” 

Steve brought back the blueprints and visuals of the compound to screen. “Okay Rumlow, take your team and do a sweep from outside, in. We need to make our way to the compound and up.” Rumlow and his team nodded in agreement. 

“The basement” Steve pointed a gloved hand to the cell patterns in the blueprints located in the basement. “Should be where you split off. Rumlow have five of your men secure the basement and report that all nine woman are present and accounted for.” 

“Barton”

“Cap” Clint smiled at him easily. 

“You’re going to make a roof land, your weapon is quiet, take out anyone on the ground that can shoot off their gun before we can silence them.” 

“I'll assist Rumlow’s team with the in and up strategy. Once inside we’ll storm the master bedroom.” Steve pointed to the third floor. “I’ll need you to make an entrance through the window. We’re not taking any chances. Once we’ve got Moscow secured we call for phase two SHIELD agents.” 

Rumlow clapped and rubbed his hands together. “There it is gents, suit up!” 

His team turned to their supplies adjusting what was needed and sliding on their parachutes. 

 

“Cap throw me a bone, already” Clint complained for the hundredth time. Steve had stayed true to his word to keep mum about Adelaide to himself. “Lets just get this over with Barton. I don’t want to talk about dating when we're about to extract nine women who have been mentally and physically abused.” 

Barton shook his head. “You were trained as a soldier Steve. But now you work for SHIELD. Sometimes this anti-terrorist business gets ugly. At least you’re helping someone right?” He offered. 

They met eyes for a moment and Steve nodded mutely. 

A disembodied woman’s voice sounded over the cabin. “Drop time countdown T-minus five minutes, twenty seconds.” 

The group walked over to the open hatch as the voice announced the lapsed time minutes later.

“Sixty seconds.”

After a moment “thirty seconds”. 

With their last seconds Barton couldn’t help one last jab at Cap. “So blonde or brunette?” 

Steve sighed audibly approaching the open hatch to jump first. As he jumped out he could hear Barton behind him shouting “Or maybe ginger?” 

Landing like a feather to concrete Steve immediately released his chute, quickly extracting his shield. He quickly took care of two watchmen dragging them to corner tossing them next to his used chute. 

He could hear quite grunts from the fellow STRIKE members as they quietly took out the other guards. They took their time approaching a back door entrance. 

He could hear the whistle of an arrow shot behind him as he turned to investigate the damage. _Two men, one arrow_ Steve thought wryly. 

Barton’s disembodied voice echoed in Steve’s helmet. “Ground clear and it looks like there are no guards near your entrance. All clear.”

Captain broke the handle easily with his hand and opened the door. Immediately everyone spread out through the first level quietly taking out the few guards easily enough. 

“You’re clear cap first floor is secured.” 

“Rumlow?” 

“All clear. Let’s move.”

“Alright infiltrate master bedroom. Barton confirm”

“Heat signatures are showing two people in the bedroom.” 

There was a pause as Captain Rogers, Rumlow and four extras slinked up the steps. 

“Cap two men approaching from your left on the third floor.” Came Barton again. 

“Copy.” 

He quickly and quietly ambushed to two men stopping them before they could shoot their guns alerting the whole household. 

“Barton are we clear?” 

“Bogies down on all floors Cap.”

"Team two?" 

“Confirmed, Cap we’re sweeping the basement.” Came a voice belonging to Rumlow’s second in command. 

“Barton, stage three. Ready?”

“Can confirm. Brace yourself Cap.”

Steve paused for he could hear that Barton was trying to communicate the scene to him. He took a deep breath. “On my mark.”

The team was standing outside the door to the master bedroom. “3…2..1” 

He kicked down the door. The thudding noise was combined with Barton crashing through the window, tucking in and quickly releasing himself from his jump cable. 

The scene Steve witnessed had taken Barton himself many years to come to terms with. 

A woman was suspended from the ceiling, gagged and bloodied. Tears were streaming down her face and she was shaking like a leaf. It took Steve a moment to recognize Beauchene from her photo. She was nearly unrecognizable now. 

Barton already had his arrow pointed steadily at the target seated calmly in the corner with the girl in his direct eye line. 

His calm French accent hardened Steve to the situation. 

“I was wondering when SHIELD would finally find me.” He swirled the brandy in his glass cup idly. “I was always hoping it would come at a more opportune time.” His eyes leered at the young woman in the middle of the room. 

“And they sent Captain America and Hawkeye, no less.” He spat, his French accent annunciating the “c’s” and “s’s” sharply. “I’m honored.” He drained the contents of his glass like a shot. 

There was a beat of silence from both parties before Steve swiftly crossed the room punching Moscow scare in the jaw. Barton had predicted this, allowing him one hit before calling him off. Steve backed away throwing Moscow a threatening look. 

Rumlow moved to secure Moscow, cuffing him. Barton had already worked on getting Agent Beauchene down from the hook she was suspended from. Steve walked to the bed to procure a blanket to cover her. 

As soon as she was un-gagged she burst into tears. “Merci” she sobbed brokenly, shaking uncontrollably now. 

Rumlow’s agents moved Moscow out of the room. He was met with looks of disdain from every pair of eyes who met his. 

Rumlow moved to Steve’s side. “The nine girls are secured as well as some of the systems housing the information for extraction as well.” 

Steve felt ill again. He took a look at the girl who sat on the stool miserably sobbing and cringing from the pain it caused her.

He was trained as a soldier; he knew the art of war and what came with it. But this, he looked at the blonde woman who was utterly in shambles, speaking quickly to Agent Barton in French, her voice cracking at times. This was something Steve never wanted to witness again in his life. 

With the extraction complete, SHIELD had sent its phase two teams in to save the information from the lab and computers found on site. The women were quickly carted away and taken to a SHIELD medical location. 

Steve had no idea what would happen to any of the young girls as he watched them pile into SHIELD cars. But as soon as he noticed the same girl from the briefing in line with her dark hair matted and thick eyebrows so akin to his girl back home. He suddenly wished he could erase this mission from his mind permanently. 

 

Eighteen hours later it was close to one in the morning in D.C as he jogged up the stairs to Adelaide’s apartment. He rang the call button for her room multiple times. A moment later the speaker cracked and her voice answered groggily, “Who is it?” 

“Addie its Steve please let me come up.” 

The only answer was the buzz to let him through the front door. Steve pushed to door open shoving it closed behind him running for the steps. He heard her door open before he made it to the landing of the second floor. 

There were no words spoken, even though her eyebrows knitted in concern before he swept her into his arms carrying her back into the apartment, kicking the door behind him. He plopped onto the couch wordlessly and she adjusted to sitting sideways on his lap. She hid her face in his neck wrapping her arms around him. 

They sat like that for what seemed to be hours neither speaking to one another. 

Adelaide understood perfectly, whatever horrors he had seen he needed comfort. Her hands relaxed to clutch at his cotton white shirt. She nuzzled him. Her last memory was watching his hand on her arm drawing circles.

Steve was lost in his thoughts as he moved to place Adelaide back in her bed. By now it was four in the morning and he was exhausted. As he tucked her in carefully she stirred enough to mutter, “don’t go” to him.

He felt relieved as he kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with her. Steve Rogers didn’t bleed for anyone; he never showed the wounds on his heart.

But in the early morning as the birds began to alert one another that they had survived the night Steve felt he finally had someone who he could find comfort in and that was all he needed to help him fall into a deep sleep.


	7. Scorching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where I believe my story will take a turn. This chapter includes some intimate scenes that cement their relationship, sort to say. 
> 
> So warning there is sexual content at the end. 
> 
> XOXO

Chapter Seven: Scorching. 

 

Since the night Steve had spent enveloped in lavender and vanilla he felt that it was increasingly difficult to be parted from Adelaide for too long. They had spent much more time together than Adelaide’s initial skepticism allowed. Enjoying warm outdoor dinners at local restaurants, indoor and outdoor movies, and calm nights spent in her apartment trying new cuisines and watching the movies unavailable at theaters. 

Steve was exuberant to try the new foods that were available in the twenty first century American melting pot. He was glad that Adelaide was extremely adventurous, having no problem whenever he presented her with his desire to try a new cultural food. 

Adelaide found herself refreshingly surprised every time she was able to share in new experiences. Finding herself more and more reluctant to inquire Steve about his calls to duty. Sometimes even convincing herself that it was better not knowing. 

The guilt resided in the forefront of Steve’s mind whenever Adelaide would look at him oddly, after admitting to having no knowledge of something common to other youths of this century. 

He knew it was wrong. But sometimes it was a blessing to come home to a beautiful woman who saw him as, just Steve. She was blissfully unaware of any dangers that could befall him. 

What really kept Steve up at night at times, was the idea that dangers could befall her. The longer time passed the more he was resolved to telling her. He just kept finding convenient reasons to avoid it. 

 

 

The summer had come and gone with a heat that seared. But these days the heat of a passing summer wasn’t the only kind the couple was suffering from. 

After a particular sizzling session after dinner and well into a neglected movie, resulting in the couple abandoning their shirts and falling accidently onto the floor. They promised themselves with reddening faces that they would take it slow. 

Steve was always quick to confirm to Adelaide that they were officially dating. A term he also remembered to say aloud. He was utterly lost without her and at this point could see no reason to leave her comforts so soon. 

But after months of tentative explorations things had started to heat up again between the two. Their promise of slow goings long forgotten. 

On a particular night in late September, they had headed to Adelaide’s apartment after a movie and dinner. Steve had reluctantly agreed to let her pay for the activities and she was all-smiles the entire night. 

At times as he watched her speak with him or during the movie when she made animated reactions to the film he couldn’t help but look at her through half lidded eyes. His body was over sensitized, buzzing with need. 

So it was no surprise that they burst through the door locked in a feverish kiss later that night. Steve kicked the door closed behind him loudly. Her hands disappeared to his collar to begin releasing the buttons. 

This was like slow torture and his hands ghosted at the rim of her blouse, itching to tear it off. She was soon sliding his button up, along with the cotton shirt under, to the ground. 

Her palms rubbed his chest and stomach feeling every inch. He abruptly pulled back for a moment to slide off her blouse. His hands were quick to grab onto the upper part of her legs lifting her to his waist. 

She sighed against his lips, softly kissing down to his neck nipping at him in certain spots. Walking them to the couch, he nearly tripped as she attacked a particularly sensitive spot. 

Before depositing her on the couch she began to shake her head back and forth in a “no” fashion. Steve froze immediately thinking she was giving him the red light. 

She kissed his neck one last time before moving to his earlobe nibbling softly at it. A violent shiver racked his body, as she whispered, “bed” to him. 

She pulled back sensing it was what he wanted, as he turned his head to look her in the eye. They starred at each other silently, both suffering from labored breathing. 

“Are you sure?” His voice was thick and he nearly couldn’t recognize it. 

“Steve, I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure.” She placed both of her hands on his cheeks and kissed him deeply. He quickly made their way to the bedroom before setting her down. Walking her backwards, he only stopped when her knees hit the edge of her bed. 

She stuttered out a questioning, “Steve?” When he dropped to his knees unbuttoning her trousers. The satiny material was easy to drop to her ankles and she slowly stepped out of them. He returned one of her mischievous smiles when he eased her legs apart and pushed her to lay on the bed. 

Contrary to the teasing from Barton, Steve wasn’t a virgin. He was in his mid twenties after the injection of the SSS. By then he was a tad over eager to feel the warmth of a woman. His first time was with a blonde female fan that had come to see his show named, Anna. 

But this was different. She was different. 

As he pressed his nose to the apex between her thighs to inhale, he felt an overwhelming satisfaction when they sighed together. He reached his hand and quickly removed her panties. 

He eyed her again before dipping down and pressing his nose exactly where it had been previously. Only now it was more intimate as they were skin to skin. He began tentatively licking, while he brushed his hands down the sensitive inner thighs. 

She wriggled restlessly under him and he smirked up at her again. “Please,” her voice beseeched quietly. He dipped low again with more fever this time. He began suckling her clit while allowing his fingers to dance around her entrance. 

They had done this before but each time was just as gloriously tortuous as before. 

His hand moved to still her dancing hips, before finally appeasing her. Beginning to suck harder and dipping two fingers into her, pumping lazily. 

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the sheets. He chuckled noticing, which shook through her body. She moaned deeply, nearly at her wits end. 

His pace escalated leaving her body racking with shakes and shivers. The noises that escaped her were much too loud; she nearly had the sense to feel embarrassed. 

But as he was bringing her into a purgatory between simple pleasure and euphoric bliss she tugged herself from his strong grip. She sat up panting meeting his confused expression. 

“Not yet.” She answered, crocking a finger at him. He smiled lopsidedly as he crawled on to the bed to hover over her. She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him to the side, and he allowed it. She smiled from her new position kissing him heatedly before sliding down to unbutton and remove his slacks taking his boxer briefs with it. 

She slid back up from his ankles starring at him unabashedly exposed to her. She smiled her cheeks pinking as she reached back to unclasp her bra. 

Steve swallowed thickly his body drinking in every inch of her exposed skin. He enjoyed the tease as she removed her last article of clothing slowly. 

He sat up quickly and she gasped as his length brushed against her moist entrance. He took the bra from her flinging it in a random direction. 

He reached both of his palms to cup her face, and kissed her deeply. His throat became suddenly thick again with emotion. He was quieted when she reached between them grasping him. 

Steve’s quick intake of breath satisfied Adelaide as she propped herself to hover over him allowing her warmth to tease his tip. They made eye contact as they joined for the first time sighing together. 

She slid down the entire length using her knees to help her before rising up quickly. Steve’s fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips groaning. His head fell to her shoulder. Her slow then fast pace interchanging would bring him to the brink before quickly stealing it away from him. 

The need for release was beginning to overtake them both that it consumed.  
Steve reached to grasp both hips lifting her up and down on his own accord. She gasped loudly as he was able to hit new spots stimulating her all the more. 

The air grew thick with the smell of sex by the time Steve flipped the pair over throwing one of her legs over his shoulder driving into her harder. Their moans and shouts escalated as they finally fell to to their blissful ends. He spilled his contents into her and she milked him to the last drop. 

He released her leg from his shoulder and she wrapped them around his hips quickly, loath to allow him to separate so soon. They both caught their bearings wrapped in each other’s arms.

 

 

Adelaide was first to fall asleep that night exhausted from the two rounds after the fact. Her peaceful face in the moonlight had Steve stopping himself from joining her in resting as quickly. 

He wanted to forever imprint this moment in his memory so he would never forget it. If this were it for him, he would die a happy man. Which only resolved him to the fact that it was time to reveal himself completely to her. He could only hope she would understand his reservations in the end.


	8. Over a Third.

Chapter Eight: Over a Third. 

 

Unlike Adelaide’s apartment which was located on the second floor, Steve resided on the fourth and top floor. The building was slightly older looking than hers and darker. 

She waited patiently as he unlocked his door and held it open for her. She passed the threshold looking around. It was similarly dark and old looking like the hallway. 

There was a bookshelf starring adjacently to her as she wandered over to it. “If I had known sleeping with you would have gotten me an invite to your apartment, I would have done it earlier.” She paused to admire his collection. 

“You know most girlfriends would be suspicious to have never been invited over their boyfriend’s apartment. Like ever.” She noted glancing around his collection. “Oh, Hemingway.” 

She plucked the hardcover copy from the collection, examining it. 

Steve moved quickly to his bedroom returning with a large bag. 

“Adelaide, there’s something I need to tell you and I’d feel better if you were sitting down.” 

Adelaide’s blank expression changed to worried as she moved to sit on the lounge chair near the bookshelf. Her knees bounced as he placed the bag in front of her. 

“Is this where you kill me?” She joked, laughing nervously. 

“What? No!” Steve answered distractedly. Pondering for a moment. 

Finally deciding on a course, he moved to the next room over returning with his shield, presenting it to her. 

She starred blankly at it before moving to tap on it. It replied with an echoing pinging noise. 

“I’m not following Steve.” 

Steve sighed, the presentation obviously not resonating with her. 

“Where were you during the attack on New York?” 

She starred at him, eyes narrowing. “It was the middle of finals week. They were the last finals of my undergrad career. When my roommate told me what was happening. I had this awful thought that why couldn’t they have attacked D.C instead.” 

Steve looked at her incredulously. 

“I know I was tired and overly caffeinated. I thought I was going to die?” Her last sentence came off as more of a question due to the discomfort caused from his stare. 

“So you never saw it on TV?" 

She shook her head "no". “I mean. I’ve seen pictures on the Internet and in the paper too. I just never thought.” She looked down at his shield again, examining it thoroughly this time. It was slightly worn and scratched. But ultimately the star in the middle surounded by red and white stipes, screamed patriotic. _Patriotic._ Her eyes narrowed at him. It had finally dawned on her. 

“What do you do for work Steve?” 

The stare she leveled him with left no room for arguments. 

“Officially I work for a government agency named SHIELD. I have been for two years now.” 

“What did you do before that?” Her expression hadn’t changed. 

“It was 1944, and the last thing I remember was flying a plane into the ocean.” 

Adelaide stood up so quickly it took Steve a moment to level with her waist He swallowed, anxiety wracking his body. 

Her hand was clasped over her mouth. She moved around him to pace the hall space. “I’m such an idiot how did I not know?” 

“Addie” Steve attempted. 

“No-no-no” She rushed out quickly. “I mean the red flags were there, who doesn’t know any Michael Jackson songs?” She continued pacing. 

“Addie” He tried again. 

“Is that where you go when you’re gone for days? Play super hero?” She scathed. 

“Addie.” It was now coming out as a warning rather than a plea. 

“No Steve.” She punctuated his name sharply. “We have been dating for months now. How do you let out that detail?” 

Steve hung his head. “I was scared.” 

“What. Why?” She stopped pacing looking at him her expression reflected her confusion. 

“When I met you, I felt like just a guy. Not someone who had his life altered with a serum. I was just some scrawny kid from Brooklyn. I couldn’t even throw a punch. Then I was made better. I was trying to do the right thing. Addie, I woke up seventy years later in a SHIELD headquarters in New York.”

He was rushing an explanation in an attempt to reach her. He could feel her walls building. God only knew what she was thinking. 

Her eyes began to water, darting around nervously. 

“I’ve wanted to tell you for so long but how do you tell someone this!” He gestured to himself. “Addie I was, I am, so lost.” 

She looked at him like a deer in the headlights when he approached her. “You” He paused reaching back to scrub his face. There was a pause as he starred at her, his eyes thick with emotion. 

Tentatively he moved closer to her. Not too encouraged by the way her arms hugged her body and her eyes scrutinized him. 

“I don’t know what else to say. I’ll answer any question you want.” He turned to procure a stack of files placing them on the table next to her. “I just,” His eyes met hers. “I love you.” 

The words hung thickly in the air changing the atmosphere completely. 

“My brother” She blurted out suddenly. 

“What?” It wasn’t exactly the reply he was looking for. 

“I never told you. He died on nine, eleven. He was one of the first responders from neighboring cities. His platoon rushed in to save people. He risked his life not even knowing why or who had done it.” 

Steve starred at her disbelievingly. He knew from what she alluded to that he had died on the job. Her eyes lost the battle to watering. 

“You could’ve told me earlier. I would have understood. I understand.” 

Steve rushed to her arms, relishing in her vice grip. “I can’t. My brother and my Dad too.” She cried into his shoulder. “Please don’t ever.” She couldn’t even finish the sentence as her body shook violently. 

Steve held her tightly, completely shocked by the turn of events. He had prepared himself for scorning. But he had completely understood what she was trying to tell him. She was afraid, for him, of losing him. 

He nuzzled her dark hair. “You won’t doll, you wont.” He assured kissing her hair. 

Twenty minutes later he had her calmed on the couch still clutching to him. After a beat, her shaking had stopped. He looked down to examine her. The tears had dried but there was a far off look in her eyes.

Now was as good time as any. 

“What about your dad?" 

She inhaled deeply, licking her lips. 

“My mom claims he died from a broken heart. To outlive your child is a torture no person should wish on another.” She adjusted herself in his lap. “He died from lung cancer in reality. It was a long, dragged out, awful experience. I didn’t recognize him when he finally passed. I was in high school.” 

Steve nodded. 

“My parents died by the time I was in my twenties.” 

She moved to look him in the eye. “Is everyone you ever knew?”

Steve shook his head. “No, but if they’re still alive they’ve aged.” 

Adelaide nodded softly, “How do you?” 

Steve shrugged, “It was crippling at first. I suffered from a lot of PTSD. To be honest that first night we slept next to each other I was scared I was going to hurt you in my sleep.” 

She smiled sadly at him, “you didn’t”

“I didn’t,” he confirmed smiling gently. “I uh, sleep better with you.” 

“Oh I bet” She joked quirking an eyebrow. He chuckled, nuzzling her face glad for the break from the heaviness. 

“I just wanted to tell you my past.” She began again quietly, “we’re even” 

Relief flooded him as she moved to straddle him. Her palms cupping his face. “I’m not mad, shocked maybe and a tad embarrassed it didn’t occur to me, but not mad. To be honest I’m not too sure how to react. This isn’t exactly textbook.” 

He nodded, his head tipping to kiss her nose. “Just don’t keep anything like this from me again. I can understand sensitive information. But like the whole world knew.” She gestured dramatically. 

“Except you.” He stopped smiling when he was met with a glare. “Too soon?” 

She sighed shaking her head. Her cheeks pinked as she leaned down to place her head at the crook of his neck. “I love you too,” she whispered. 

The air was knocked out of Steve’s lungs. He used his shoulder to propel her head to look up. Their eyes locked. 

He broke into an iridescent smile and Adelaide was dazzled. 

They met in the middle to kiss sweetly. He couldn’t help himself sliding off her cardigan tossing it to the floor before lifting them from the couch. Classically, she wrapped her legs around him before breaking the kiss. 

“Does this mean I can call you Cap in bed?” Her eyes glinted.

“Ma’am, in bed, you can scream whatever you want.” 

Adelaide threw her head back to laugh heartily. The laugh was therapeutic and Steve found himself joining as they fell onto his bed. 

They were in love and for this blissful moment in time, they were all each other had to worry about. 

 

They had no cares in the world. Especially not a care for an intelligence agency that had just filed away a photo and background check on a tiny flower girl from California.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There! A fluffy two chapters and now let there be action! 
> 
> Kudos?
> 
> XOXO


	9. Tipping Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: This chapter has derived quotes from Captain America The Winter Soldier. So all rights for work go to the creators of that film including directors and screen writers. It is quoted and not my own work. 
> 
> I would also like to add I'm not really a fan of direct quoting from movies but I felt it necessary for just this chapter, since I needed to introduce Sam Wilson. 
> 
> I would also like to note this is a bit of a filler. 
> 
> Regardless, enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> XOXO

Chapter Nine: Tipping Point. 

 

 

It was five in the morning when Steve groggily opened his eyes. As of late, he was spending many nights over Adelaide’s apartment. He never really made it home after the nights they had. 

But his internal clock ticked on anyway and his body woke up with an itch to burn the extra energy he had re-accumulated from the four hours previous. He slipped out of bed adjusting himself before stumbling over to the bathroom. 

When he returned Adelaide in her sleep had moved to occupy the space where he had slept. He smiled to himself. The only thing she wore was his t-shirt. It had rumpled at her waist giving him an excellent view of her bare bottom. 

He swallowed thickly. He knew it was better to allow her time to recover between the passionate nights they had. He leaned over the bed to place a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’m going running doll.” He whispered in her ear. 

Her only response was some kind of groan before turning to rest on her stomach. He chuckled lightly walking into her closet. He kept spare clothes in here now, at her request. 

Twenty minutes later he was running the Washington Memorial Park as part of his normal routine. 

As the sun began to rise, he noticed a familiar runner on the path. He smirked to himself as he approached from behind. 

“On your left.” He announced, passing the man quickly enough. He chuckled to himself, when he heard him shouting protests behind him. 

The runner in question was a man Steve saw out every morning. Something about him stuck out. He attempted much to Steve’s amusement to keep up with him. Needless to say it didn’t work out. 

 

 

“Need a med?” Steve smiled finally finding him under a tree. He was breathing heavily and laughed, shaking his head briefly.

“No I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes.” He responded his lungs heaving. 

“Guess I got a late start.”

“Oh really?” He turned to look at him incredulously, “You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap.” He gestured with his index finger. He looked back up to Steve. “Did you just take it? I assume you just took it.” 

Steve smiled, “What unit you in?” He gestured to the man’s shirt. 

“Fifty-eighth para-rescue. Now I’m working down in the V.A”

He offered Steve his hand, “Sam Wilson.”

“Steve Rogers.” He clasped hands with him and yanked him up. 

“Yeah I kinda put that together.” He bent over his knees, still breathing rapidly. “Must have freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing.” 

Steve sighed, “Takes some getting used to.” Suddenly not too keen on following through with the conversation, “It was good to meet you Sam.” He smiled at him before turning to walk away. 

“It’s your bed right?”

Steve turned around, “What’s that?”

“Your bed, it’s too soft right? Over there I used to sleep on the ground, use rocks for pillows, like a cave man. Now I’m home, laying in my bed and its like” He paused looking for the exact word. 

“Laying on a marshmallow” Steve finished. Suddenly this stranger didn’t seem so strange. “I feel like I’m going to sink right to the floor.” 

The both nodded at each other agreeing. “How long?” Steve asked. 

“Two tours.” Sam replied. “You must miss the good old days.” 

Steve looked around, reflecting for a moment. “Well things aren’t so bad. Foods a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful.” He gestured again. “I’ve been reading that a lot trying to catch up.” 

Sam nodded his head in agreement and amusement. He crossed his arms for a moment as if thinking. “Marvin Gay, 1972 The Trouble Man. Everything you missed jammed into one soundtrack.” 

Steve nodded in agreement reaching into his pocket and taking out the notebook and small pen he carried around with him. “I’ll put it on the list.” He briefly looked at him before writing it down. 

Not a moment after he was done his phone beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket to check the screen. “Alright Sam duty calls.”

“Thanks for the run.” Sam answered leaning forward to shake his hand. 

“If that’s what you wanna call a run.” Steve answered. 

“Oh that’s how it is?” Came Sam’s reply. 

“Oh that’s how it is.” Steve confirmed. 

“Okay.” Sam chuckled in response. “Hey,” Sam called quickly just as Steve began to walk away. “Anytime you want to come down to the V.A and make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know.”

Steve was walking backwards now. “I’ll keep it in mind.” He confirmed. 

A black corvette pulled up just as Steve turned, the window rolled down to reveal Natasha Romanov. 

“Hey Fellas, either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I’m here to pick up a fossil.” 

Steve quickly walked to the car already embarrassed. “That’s hilarious Natasha.” He muttered as he opened the door to slide in. Turning just in time to see Sam attempt to flirt with her. 

“How you doing?” Sam nodded to her. Unfortunately, “Hey” was all he received in return. 

“Can’t run everywhere.” Steve explained. 

“No you can’t.” Sam agreed watching the two pull away quickly from the curb. 

As Natasha pulled into morning traffic, Steve briskly took out his phone, using her distraction to quickly text Adelaide. 

_Mission._ He quickly typed it and sent it before Natasha could ask or notice. 

 

This was nothing new for the pair. Steve would often have to disappear for days at a time without too much notice. But he always attempted to let her know, so she wouldn’t worry. 

He reclined his head on the seat sighing, he allowed himself to wish that he could have been having breakfast with her instead of prepping for a new call to God knows where. 

As they approached SHIELD head quarters Steve shook any of those thoughts from his head and placed his state of mind solely on what was ahead of him. 

He was no longer Steve Rogers. He was Captain America.


	10. Thirty Fifth Floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos? 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> XOXO

Chapter 10: 

 

04:54 Triskelion, SHIELD headquarters.

Thirty Fifth Floor. 

 

There was a resounding slap that echoed throughout the darkened room. The only things that occupied the space where two chairs, one occupied, a table, and three people. 

Adelaide’s face burned, her head had lolled to her right. Faintly, she could taste the metallic tanginess of blood in her mouth. She looked up the culprit, her eyes stayed carefully unattached. 

She wanted so badly to get up and slap him back. But she knew, one she would be detained before she even laid a finger on him, and second even if she managed it, it probably would barely hurt him. 

She looked to the second man who stood against the wall, his shaggy hair covering most of his face. He looked bored to tears upon the first glimpse. But when she finally located his eyes behind the veil of his hair, she could see his expression. 

She gulped turning back to her assailant. 

“Last time,”

“Where is Steve Rogers?” 

Adelaide didn’t know the answer, he knew she didn’t know, and she knew that he knew she didn’t know the answer. So why had it come to this? 

 

18:13 Washington D.C, Second ST.

Adelaide fidgeted nervously with her keys as she walked home from the flower shop. It was late on the third day since she had last seen Steve. 

It’s not like, he hadn’t gone away for this period of time before, even longer at times, but something just didn’t sit right. Her gut twisted around nervously. 

She trotted through the apartment complex entrance and up the stairs. She opened the door and quickly slammed it shut behind her sliding down to put her knees in between her head. 

She hadn’t felt this anxious in a long time and she could feel herself spiraling. Taking a few healing breathes she attempted to come to terms with it. 

After a moment she stood surveying her apartment trying to put together a course of action. That’s when she suddenly noticed how _off_ her apartment was. 

The picture she took of Steve and her, framed and placed on the wall behind her couch neighboring other personal photos, was slightly tipped. 

It was such a minuet detail that started to piece together like a puzzle as she noticed other things. Her window, which she always left open for fresh air was locked; the rug under it was rumpled. She could see a shoe print in the middle of her hallway leading to her bedroom. 

Her sharp kitchen knife unsheathing from the wooden knife block seemed to echo in the quiet apartment. Her heart was thudding in her throat by this point and her eyes were fixed on her hallway. 

The building was extremely old, and the floorboards often creaked when any amount of weight was put on them. The noise, was so small yet erupted so loudly from her bedroom. 

“Come out” She stated just loud enough for whomever to hear. 

Silence. Not even a creaky floorboard in protest. She waited, watching the clock tick by. 

“Is this some kind of scare tactic? Or are you just a coward?” 

Silence. 

“Come out! I’m calling the cops!” 

Immediately she reached for her phone in her pocket. But froze when she heard heavy-boot footsteps sound from her room. She locked in on the threshold of her bedroom and hallway clutching her knife harder. 

She almost thought she was seeing things when he appeared, his eyes piercing through her as he approached. 

“What the hell are you doing in my apartment?” 

“Put the knife down.” Was his only gruff response. 

She was about to respond with a biting remark before being scared out of her wits, when a banging erupted from her door. 

“Adelaide Collins, this is D.C police. Open the door.” Came an equally threatening voice. 

With her distracted, the scruffy intruder was able to twist the knife out of her hands, yanking her arm painfully behind her, simultaneously pulling her to him. She let out a yelp jumping to her toes attempting to relieve some of the pain he caused her. 

He opened her front door throwing her roughly to the two men waiting on the other side, dressed nothing like cops. She struggled roughly, screaming for help. 

“This is unconstitutional!” Adelaide sputtered as they forcibly walked her down the steps. No one answered any of her protests as they walked her outside. 

When she saw the dark SUV she began struggling further actually managing to halt the procession. She had bit one of the wrists of her handlers viciously, kicking the other in the gut hard enough for him to grunt. 

Immediately the bulkier shaggy man had her painfully by the shoulder, thrusting her into the car. He had clambered in after her and held her in place with an extremely cold metal hand. Adelaide’s eyes watered at the sheer strength of the grip. She was no longer struggling but it was painful non the less. 

The agent she had kicked in the gut slid in to her left, while the other sat shotgun. The car immediately took off from the curb driving quickly through the streets with a siren on. 

“Please let go.” She muttered, meeting the eye of scruffy. He immediately released her looking uncomfortable. She rubbed her forearm, it was red and already on the verge of bruising. 

She looked up as she noticed they had made it to some kind of bridge leading to an extremely large building. The area was always off limits to civilians and she wondered what exactly was within this area from afar. 

The car stopped and she was escorted out of the car. Ten minutes later she was placed in a small-darkened office numerous floors up. She swallowed thickly squirming on the cold metal chair. 

After a beat a tanned agent with dark hair walked into the room with a couple of large manila folders in his hands. He sat opposite of her smiling.

She was the first to speak. “This isn’t DCPD headquarters.” 

He chuckled, “Is that what they told you.”

“It’s what they told me when they broke into my house and took me away against my will.” She spat. 

He leveled his gaze with her, comfortable as a cat with his ankle crossed over his knee. He made eye contact with scruffy who lurked against a wall near Adelaide. 

He reached over to pick up the first folder. Opening it lazily. 

“Adelaide Collins. Born July 24, 1990. Born in Santa Barbara, California to Ottilia and Henry Collins. Father diseased, Mother comfortably residing in Arlington, Virginia. One diseased sibling, Alexander Collins, sorry to hear about that.”

Adelaide starred at the folder. She swallowed thickly. 

“No you’re not.” She replied simply, crossing her arms. “Are you here to read me my life story?”

“No I’m here to ask you a few questions.”

“A few questions.” She considered it. “So you dragged forcibly out of my apartment, had me brought here against my will, just to ask me a few questions?” 

When he didn’t reply right away she continued. “Ever heard of a phone? Or maybe actually knocking on someone’s door and telling them you need to bring them in? I’m a civilian. At that I’m a petite young woman I doubt I pose much of a threat.”

“You bit one of my agents.” 

“He’ll live.” 

He chuckled loudly at this. “Alright let me attack this in another angle for you Miss Collins. I’m Agent Rumlow, we brought you in urgently for questioning because it is of great national importance.” 

He reached for a file placing it down on the table. Adelaide felt her stomach drop when she realized it was a picture of Steve. Next to the photo he placed several photos of the two of them out and about, including one of them entering Steve’s apartment. 

“Miss, Captain Rogers is a fugitive.” 

Adelaide shook her head slowly in denial. 

“We need to know where he is.” He continued. 

“So you brought me in?” She questioned, having not yet looked away from the pictures. A million questions swirled around in her head. _Who had taken those pictures? Were they always followed? Did Steve know they were followed?_

“We have the last communication received between the two of you as,” He paused looking at a new document, “a one-worded text letting you know he was out on a mission.” He looked thoroughly amused. Adelaide finally snapped.

“What’s so funny?” 

His smirk widened, “I just didn’t know Cap had a girl. He was always getting hounded to take a girl out, but always seemed uninterested.” 

He chuckled leaning back in his chair, “who knew he had you in the wings.” His eyes twinkled mischievously at her. 

Adelaide chose not to reply. She looked over at shaggy haired momentarily. His eyes burned back to hers. 

“So tell me,” Agent Rumlow said moving forward. 

“Where is he?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Don’t make this difficult Adelaide.”

“I’m telling the truth, that text” she gestured to the document, “was the last I’ve heard from him in three days.” 

He leveled a stare at her. It wasn’t trusting in the least. “So your mother lives in Arlington?” Adelaide snapped her eyes to stare at him again. “All by herself, do you visit often?” Adelaide didn’t reply to him, she recognized a man trying to get a rise out of someone when she saw it. 

 

“Does she know you’re dating Captain America?” 

Silence. He wasn’t going to get a response. 

“I wonder if she locks her doors at night? Her windows? See,” He leaned forward to his elbows on the metal table. “These are the thoughts that could drive someone crazy not knowing.” He stood up to stand.

“Older people fall down the stairs all the time, Adelaide, even if she’s only sixty. Clumsy, clumsy.” He had walked the length of the room to stand near her.

She remained quiet, too afraid to reply to his threat. How had it come to this? Someone openly threatening her mother’s life? 

“Just tell me where he is and I can let you go home to your mother.” 

“I told you I don’t know.” 

He slapped her hard across the face. That’s how it finally came full circle to Adelaide. She had reflected on how she had gotten herself into this mess. 

 

“Last time, where is Steve Rogers?” 

“Is this how you think you’ll change my answer? By trying the ‘bad cop’ method?” She looked up at him. “You know I don’t know where he is, your papers, your intelligence told you so. So what’s left then?” She spat at him suddenly unable to stop shaking. “You just like to hit women for fun?” 

He glared at her. It suddenly was beginning to click together for Adelaide. She had no idea what Steve did, but she knew him. He was as clean cut and honorable as they came. For a man in his line of work, she knew it was rare if not unheard of. Institutions were corrupt; everyone was interested in their own personal goals rather than serving the better good of the public. 

 

The actions that had been set forth against Adelaide had convinced her that whatever it was Steve had done, there was a reason behind it. 

Rumlow stepped away motioning to the man in the corner, when a knock came at the door. “We’re done for now.” He announced, as they left. 

The door locked loudly and Adelaide was alone. She scooted forward to place her forehead on the cold table. She was exhausted. The wall clock read closer to five in the morning, when she glanced at it. 

Her last coherent thought was to only close her eyes for a moment.


	11. Like A Bird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually quite a difficult chapter to write up. It's a little harder when you have the event playing out in your mind and making the transfer to typed up word. 
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos left and reads:) 
> 
> Feedback is appreciated as well let me know what you think? For better or for worse it is appreciated. 
> 
> XOXO

Chapter Eleven. Like a bird. 

 

 

Adelaide awoke to a feeling of falling. In fact, she had actually fallen in her sleep off the table and nearly off her chair. A reflex had caught her from going sideways at the last minute. 

Starring around groggily for a moment she attempted to get her bearings. She remembered where she was and how she got here. She just couldn’t piece together why. 

The clock read eight in the morning. Stretching, she sighed openly when her shoulder popped and cringed realizing her neck was stiff. As soon as she stood, it was obvious she needed to use the facilities. 

She walked wobbly to the only exit the room provided, banging loudly on the door. 

“Hello?” She called loudly, “I need to use the restroom.” 

This continued for fifteen minutes before someone finally answered her. When they opened the door Adelaide was quick to move away in fear of getting her head smacked by the door. 

It was a woman with ebony hair, she was dressed pristinely in what she assumed was a given uniform for this organization. 

“Follow me.” She said simply turning to walk out. 

Adelaide was quick to follow noting the posted guards at the door. She glared at them for making her wait so long. 

The bathroom was a one-room number closely resembling a public restroom, similar to her previous accommodations with no windows and one door.

She took longer than needed in the restroom, relieving herself and washing her face. In the clear mirror she could see the bruise on the left side of her face. _t's hideous_ , she thought touching the area gently. 

When she finally reemerged from the bathroom there seemed to be a commotion going on. Agents had started fumbling about, and the dark haired woman hustled to get Adelaide back to the room. 

She sighed after being dumped back into the oppressive room. She could still hear the mess going on right outside her door. This led to pacing the cubical of a room. 

There was a loud commotion outside that had Adelaide freezing to stare at her door. The metal door had been thrown open to reveal Rumlow. 

“Back so soon?” She taunted. 

His face was terse as he marched up to her grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the room. Two other agents flanked him as they marched towards the elevator. 

As soon as the door sealed and they ascended, he released her. A disembodied voice announced the floor dully and again she was whisked away to a larger less imposing office. This one had windows, a whole wall full of large paned windows. 

Adelaide was shocked to see the shaggy man again sitting rigidly on one of the couches. She gulped turning to Rumlow who sat her down. He looked at her cautiously. 

He opened one of his secret keeping manila folders and placed the photo in front of her on the table. 

Adelaide looked at it confused for a moment. It was a photo of debris and rubble. Rumlow put a small device on the table that shot out a three dimensional hologram. From what it portrayed it seemed to be the same layout as the photo except it showed the complex with an underground bunker. 

“Scanners showed no sign of life after the explosions.” Rumlow explained. 

Adelaide’s heart sunk, she knew exactly whom he was talking about. Tears pricking at her eyes but she held them back. 

“But we know better.” Rumlow continued. “He’ll be back and when he does he’ll come here.” 

Adelaide bore her gaze to Rumlow. 

“When he does, we have you. Nothing like a good ’ol fashion distraction.” Rumlow smirked down at her again, “So what do I need to say to get you on board?” 

“On board with what?” She decided to play it dumb. 

“He wont attack the facility if your life is put at risk.” 

Adelaide snorted, _they were desperate_ , she gathered. But she had the sense to recognize that whatever was happening was a little bigger than a budding relationship. If it involved the greater good, well…

“Has he had a piece of you yet?”

Adelaide’s eyes widened as she looked at him, “excuse me?” 

“Has he had a twenty first century woman? If I were him I wouldn’t,” Where ever Rumlow was going with that sentence was immediately lost and replaced with a sickening crunch. 

It may have been the element of surprise, it may have been the perfect angle, or maybe just the wrath of an insulted woman pushed to the edge. But as the blood poured from Rumlow’s nose, Adelaide felt a rush of pride for herself. She had staggered to her feet in her rush to slug him, contempt dripping from her essence. 

“You bitch!” He roared. 

To Adelaide, Rumlow came off as an overly testosterone fueled man who had been given too much power. His veneer was cracking, and an ugly inside was seeping out. 

It all happened so quickly; Adelaide was barely able to keep up with the chain of events. One minute, she was on her feet, the next she had been pinned to the table by her neck, he head smacking against the heavy wood. 

A moment later she was left to stare up at shaggy haired. He was fixated on Rumlow who was pinned easily next to her. Cautiously, Adelaide slid off the table gingerly touching her head and starring at the two. 

Scruffy had Rumlow pinned for a moment longer shoving his head powerfully against the table, before releasing him. The two wordlessly made their way out of the room. 

When the door locked Adelaide let out a sigh of relief. She smirked to herself; guiltily pleased she had managed to break his nose. 

 

Hours passed uneventfully. Adelaide was lolling between sleep and acute awareness. In one of her moments in the in between she realized she was listening to Steve talk. A brief flittering thought mentioned in passing how much she missed him. 

Sharply her conscious mind focused as she sat up quickly. 

 

 _It was Steve_ she confirmed to herself, she hadn’t been dreaming. His disembodied voice spoke so clearly she could cry with relief. She listened attentively as he coached SHIELD agents to reject their orders to launch Project Insight. He spoke of HYDRA’s involvement of these orders. He also mentioned that a lot of innocent people were going to be hurt. 

This geared Adelaide into action. She could no longer wait to see what would happen next. She stood from the couch that she had napped in, crossing the office. She giggled the knob; as expected it was locked. 

She stepped back to survey the room. She needed something to break the lock open. Unfortunately there wasn’t too much to choose from. A few office supplies, the heavy wooden desk, the couch and coffee table, a few chairs, and a lamp. 

She walked over the table area hoping to find a pair of scissors. “A-hah.” She muttered to herself finding a pair abandoned in the second drawer. 

She walked over to the office. Luckily this door was a good old-fashioned bolt lock with screws to hold it in place. It took fifteen minutes to manage unbolting the door. 

The entire time she had her preverbial breath held, hoping no one would stop her. She figured if it came to that she would be able to defend herself with the scissors. She let out a held breath, opening the door slightly. 

The coast was clear as she held tightly to the scissors walking the hall. She followed the signs to the stairs. 

Sirens were flashing throughout the hallway throughout this endeavor. A monotonous woman’s voice had begun an evacuation some time ago. Adelaide waited and watched from around the corner as last minute agents made their way to the stair well. 

Adelaide held her breath, tears pricking again. Twenty minutes dragged on slowly when she finally deemed it safe to continue to the stairwell. She quietly opened the heavy doubled door, shocked that the stair well too was walled with glass-panned windows. She climbed half a flight out of curiosity. 

She could see helicarriers already in the sky. It must have been what Steve had been referring to in his announcement. She starred silently at it for a moment longer just prepared to turn to flee the seen when she noticed something heading straight for the building. Only the something wasn’t a something, it was someone. She flinched thinking for a moment he would crash in through her windows. 

The man crashed through one of the upper floor windows, and Adelaide could hear the delayed sound from up the stairs. 

It was a stupid decision. Call it human curiosity or even a gut feeling. But she flung herself up the stairs attempting to calculate the precise floor he landed in. 

She could hear the commotion once she opened the exit out of the stairwell. She crossed the hallway opening another doubled door revealing a mass work floor. 

He was easily distinguishable contrasting an extremely boring looking office space. Adelaide froze at the door, gathering any courage she had left. 

“Are you”, she stopped shocked. 

The man had grabbed a gun from his holster and aimed it right at her. In her shock she dropped the scissors. 

“SHIELD?” He questioned noticing her civilian clothes. Adelaide vigorously shook her head “no”. 

He struggled to stand groaning. “Never,” he mentioned throwing a thumb over his shoulder. “Crash through a window.” 

Adelaide nodded, relaxing as he put his gun away. 

“Are you okay?” She asked uncertainly. He nodded in response. 

“Are you SHIELD?” She asked quickly after. He shook his head still breathing raggedly. “Are you HYDRA?” She followed up. 

He looked at her oddly, “I don’t think even if I was I’d own up to it? Where’d you hear that?” 

“The announcement from Steve.” She answered carelessly. 

“Steve?” 

“Oh, Captain America” She corrected. 

“What’s your name?” He asked suddenly scrutinizing her walking closer. As a response she quickly backed away. 

“Adelaide” She replied uncomfortably. 

“Adelaide!” He explained so suddenly jovial it frightened her. He quickly crossed the distance extending his hand. 

“I’m Sam a friend of Steve.” He enthusiastically shook her hand. 

“Do you have a sister?” 

Adelaide looked at him oddly, “No.” she replied slowly. 

“Too bad.” He looked down before suddenly moving to unhook whatever was strapped to his back. “Anyway. We got to get moving probably better if I can pass you off safely.” 

This suddenly eased Adelaide immensely. But just as soon as the relief came it left. The door slammed open revealing a very pissed looking Rumlow. 

“Oh no” Adelaide muttered quickly backing away. 

Adelaide deduced that an adrenaline rush was like suddenly having the ability to see everything at once; your mind quieted and it was suddenly able to make extremely smart decisions. 

Rumlow had rushed the two and Sam met him to defend Adelaide. She watched helpless clutching her useless scissors. She had ducked under a desk away from the pair when Rumlow managed to fire off a shot. 

She held her breath turning in time to see Sam disarm his weapon and knocking Rumlow to the floor. She could see Rumlow reaching for something in his boot. Causing Adelaide to quickly send he scissors sliding towards Sam’s boots. 

“Sam scissors!” He seemed to catch on grabbing the metal pair in time to block Rumlow’s hunting knife. 

Adelaide worried on her lips. She knew she couldn’t just abandon Sam here now. But there was nothing she could do to help except having sent him a pair of scissors. 

In her thoughts, Sam had again managed to slam Rumlow, harder this time, to the floor. 

“Holy shit.” He muttered loud enough for her to hear. He was looking beyond Rumlow and Adelaide saw it too. She stood from her hiding spot fearfully. 

 

 

 

Adelaide remembered a time during hot summers in California taking a drive down Pacific Coast Highway with her family. She remembered sticking her small hand out of the window flexing her finger so her hand would fly up with the wind, and then pointing them together to dive it back down. 

That was what jumping out of a window from the fifty-fifth floor was like. 

Sam had turned to run towards her grabbing her forearm running them full speed for the opposite wall of glass windows. 

“Nat please say you’re in the helicopter. I’m making a jump from the fifty fifth floor.” 

Adelaide’s heart raced. She pumped her legs to keep up with Sam. 

 

“Adelaide I’m going to need your trust.” They were just two feet from the windows now. “Just spread your arms out like a bird after you clear the glass.” 

 

That was exactly what she did. The adrenaline pumped through her veins giving her a euphoric feeling. The wind was cold as it stung her face. She pulled her arms to the side as instructed. 

That was when she saw the helicopter, and she wondered then and only then if she was going to die.


	12. Salt Water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a filler what can you do?
> 
> Get ready for the next chapter! 
> 
> Kudos? Comments? 
> 
> XOXO

Chapter 12. Salt water. 

 

She could remember long August days in California driving up and down Pacific Coast Highway searching for new spans of beach they hadn’t been to yet. 

She could remember jumping out of the family car and running down the sand to where the coast would lap lazily at the shore. She could smell the fresh salt water bringing a refreshingly cold breeze to the beach goers. 

She would play in the water for the entire day and still never want to get out. Her father would always come to collect her with a large beach towel when it was time to go. 

It was so real. 

She could remember her father’s sun warmed skin contrasting her baby skin cooled by the ocean. They were a relief to each other. She loved her father so much. His smell, his scratchy beard, his smile, and the funny way he talked. 

It was painful when she was thrust out of her salt-aired paradise of childhood. She took a deep breath and nearly cried at the pain it caused her. Her eyes snapped open unwillingly. 

It was too bright at first. She closed her eyes and opened them again. 

“Oh god. I thought you were going to cry.” 

Adelaide lulled her head to the left starring dully at a red headed woman. She smirked at her and oddly reminded Adelaide of a fox. 

She was dressed casually and sitting in a comfortable looking seat next to her bed. 

“Where am I?”

“Classified.”

Adelaide’s uneasiness must have come across. “Relax no one here wants to hurt you. Steve’s in the other room.” Adelaide looked at the exit. “Is he okay?” 

“Even super soldiers need time to rest, he’s been out since we found him.” 

Adelaide relaxed slightly, “He’ll be okay?” 

The red head smiled, “yes.” 

There was a beat of silence before she continued. “I’m shocked you actually made the jump. Sam was a trained” She seemed to pause to think for a moment. “But I suppose with one of the heli-carriers crashing into Triskelion it was your best bet.” She paused to lean back leisurely. 

Adelaide took the moment of silence to sit up slowly. She touched her right side and felt odd small bumps along her side. 

“Broken ribs in four places. Other than that you’re fine.” 

Adelaide let out a puff of breath. “Sam is okay?”

“He’s fine.” She seemed to continue to scrutinize Adelaide. She smiled to herself when Adelaide made a move to get out of bed. 

“Where are you going?” 

“Bathroom” She replied tightly. 

“You’ve got a catheter.” 

“Gross.” 

 

“I’ll get the nurse.” The redhead replied getting up. 

“What’s your name?” Adelaide asked quickly.

“Natasha.” 

 

 

It took three days and frequent visits from Natasha and Sam for the pain to become routine. Each day it eased just a little less. She was finally able to get out of bed and walk around a bit. 

She was scared but insisted she walk to Steve’s room. What she found there was underwhelming. He looked pristine there was nothing visibly wrong with him; he was just sleeping. 

She carefully sat in a lounge chair near him. Sam came into the room after her and sat on his left. 

“Feeling better today.” 

“Yeah” 

“Did you eat?” 

She shook her head “no”. 

“You gotta eat something. I know it must suck, with the ribs and all, but it’s how you get better.” 

Adelaide shifted uncomfortably. “It hurts when my stomach expands. It gets harder to breath.” 

Sam chuckled to himself, “you’re going to wither away and let me let you in on a little secret.” 

Adelaide’s eyebrow rose as Sam leaned in. “No man wants a girl without a little meat on her bones.” Adelaide smirked at him shaking her head. “Thanks love guru.” 

Sam nodded leaning back to relax in his seat. “You can come to me for anything love related. I got you.” 

“So love guru have you figured out how we’ll tell him I jumped out of a window into a helicopter?” 

Sam’s smirk immediately left his face and Adelaide tried her hardest not to laugh. 

“What’s going on in here?” 

Adelaide turned her head to see Natasha standing at the doorframe. “Sam and I were just discussing how to tell Steve I can jump out of windows into helicopters now.” 

Natasha smirked, “You’ll need a bit more training but you could basically become a professional window diver.” 

“It’s what I always wanted to do with my life.” Adelaide replied blandly much to Sam and Natasha’s amusement. 

“Anyway I came to bring you in.” Natasha found enjoyment in freaking Adelaide out and when the younger girl turned a worried gaze to her. Her façade cracked and she laughed, “for lunch. You haven’t eaten.” 

Adelaide sighed, standing slowly. “Who knew I’d get a super spy for a babysitter.” 

“It’s what I always wanted to be.” Natasha replied, helping her up the rest of the way and leading her out of the room. 

 

After half an hour Sam had settled down for a nap. In between his relaxing he was jolted awake by a voice. 

 

“On your left.”


	13. Awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos? Comments?
> 
> XOXO

Chapter 13. 

Steve sat around Sam’s apartment waiting patiently for Natasha to be done with her shower so they could plan their next move against HYDRA. Sam walked in from the kitchen handing Steve a glass of water. 

“What’s got you nervous?”

Steve looked up at Sam sighing, looking once more at the door. 

“I uhm-“ Steve paused suddenly nervous to divulge information about Adelaide. 

“You and Natasha, I see it.” 

“What? No.” 

Sam pulled a face. “Really?” 

“Adelaide.”

“Ada- what?” 

“Adelaide.” Steve paused quieting, “My girl.” 

Sam suddenly understood why Steve was being so silent. He looked back at the door and sat closer to Steve. “I tried to keep her under the radar.” Steve explained. “I’m” he paused, “I’m worried for her.” 

Sam leaned back for a second shocked at the admission. He folded his hands together, “Steve there’s probably no way to find out she’s okay without tipping off SHIELD.” 

Steve scrubbed his face furiously, “ I know it’s just.” 

He quieted when he heard loud shuffling from the bathroom. A beat later Natasha emerged from the bathroom and the moment between Steve and Sam was lost. 

\----------

 

The nurses rushed in and buzzed around Steve for half an hour while Sam sneaked out easily enough. He slinked down the hallway and up the stairs to the mess hall. 

He was hoping to beat the gossip to Natasha and Adelaide first. Now was the moment they had anticipated for days. Sam walked through the double doors and paused a moment before spotting the two women. 

As he got closer to the table the pair sat at, he could see Adelaide idly stirring her soup. “What’s the matter,” he announced as he plopped down next to her, “Soup not up to standard for a professional window diver?’ 

Adelaide turned to smile at him. Natasha merely glanced up at him before looking back down at her phone, smirking to herself. Adelaide’s face fell and for a moment she looked at Natasha wearily before looking up at Sam. 

“You know what you need?” 

“What?” 

“Fresh air. Nat, I’m stealing her.” 

“Good. Maybe a walk will change her mind about eating something easy like soup.” Natasha replied irritably. 

Adelaide twitched her lips to the side unconvinced. Sam helped her up easily and relatively without much pain. As the pair wondered down the hallway to the elevator, Adelaide finally found the strength to speak up. 

“Do you think”, She quieted almost too afraid to continue her question. 

Sam looked down at her as they approached the elevator. He leaned over to push the button. 

Adelaide looked up at Sam as he gestured for her to continue her sentence. “Do you think Steve wont want me after this.” Sam pulled a face. 

“I mean I know that sounds really needy. What I’m trying to say is, do you think he’ll think its better without me. I’m plain Jane and useless, I run my moms flower store. He’s.” She paused her eyes pricking momentarily, “He’s super soldier Captain America.” Adelaide tapered off regaining control of her emotions. 

Sam shook his head, the elevator had dinged and opened. He lightly touched her shoulder blades to usher her in. “You need a pep talk?” He said as the doors sealed shut. He pressed the elevator for two floors down. She thought it was odd since that wasn’t where the fresh air was. 

 

“Steve knew the dangers involved to be with you. I just think he didn’t know how far HYDRA was willing to manipulate SHIELD. What Rumlow did to you is unforgivable. But you, warrior princess, broke his nose.” They both smiled at each other. 

“And you didn’t hesitate to jump out of that building. You trusted me.” 

Adelaide quirked an eyebrow, “well its not like the stairs were an option anymore.” 

“No they weren’t. So” The elevator dinged as the two made their way out of it and started walking down the hall. 

The palpable excitement was obvious on this floor. Personnel were rushing back and forth. People hovered around Steve’s room. Adelaide crushed Sam’s wrist when she held it for support. “He’s?” 

“He’s awake,” He winced from her grip. “Okay, yeah let go.” He explained prying her fingers off his wrist. 

“Sorry.” She said. 

“Geez, what did he rub offon you?” 

“Hahah- very funny.” Adelaide drawled she took a tentative step forward to see through the glass windows that surrounded Steve’s door. Sure enough he was up sitting on the bed, naked back to her. The doctor was running some test and seemed satisfied talking to Steve jovially. 

“I think she’s enjoying her job.” Adelaide noted. 

“Lucky man.” 

He smiled teasingly when Adelaide glared at him. 

They stood out there until the doctor left and Steve settled himself back into the bed. 

“Alright here we go,” Sam rubbed his palms together taking a step forward but was halted. He sighed grabbing and arm around Adelaide walking her slightly forcefully towards the door. “Be cool. It’s just Captain America.” He whispered to her. 

This of course filled Adelaide with indignation giving her the strength to walk in on her own. “Brat” she muttered. 

Sam knocked on the doorframe. Steve was the first to speak. “Oh good, I thought it was more tests.” 

“Actually” Sam walked forward, “I’m here to administer your final test.” Sam finished with a slight dramatic flair. 

Steve simply raised an eyebrow turning his attention back to whoever remained at the door. He paled considerably. 

“Addie?” 

“Hi.” She shifted uncomfortably before walking up to the side of the bed.  
“How are you feeling?” 

Steve had a look of disbelief on his face as he gingerly placed two hands on her face. He was examining her; his eyes scanned her entire body. Adelaide met Sam’s eyes uncomfortably. She knew what he’d find upon inspection. 

His eyes froze on the greenish yellow bruise on her face and arms. “Who hit you?” The couple finally made eye contact and for a beat there was silence. 

“Rumlow.” 

Steve curled his lips inwards and the anger radiating off of him was palpable. “He had no right.” He hissed. 

“She broke his nose.” Sam interjected, Steve looked at Sam quickly before turning back to a smiling Adelaide. “He said something inappropriate so I slugged him.” 

Both of Steve’s eyebrows shot up. “You slugged him?” 

“Who knew right?” Sam piped up, “You should have seen his nose, and it was all messed up. He probably couldn’t breath right.” He laughed at the end causing Steve to chuckle lightly. He looked back at Adelaide. 

“So they brought you in?”

Adelaide nodded. She slowly leaned forward to hug Steve, which he reciprocated too enthusiastically. Adelaide cried out realizing her mistake and a shocked Steve immediately let go when Sam pulled him off. 

Tears trickled down her cheeks from the pain and she tried her hardest to stop, biting the back of her hand to dull the pain in her ribs, her other arm wrapped around her rib cage gently.  
“That was all you Addie.” Sam chastised, to a feverishly nodding Adelaide. Steve looked on completely lost wondering what he did. Adelaide wiped her cheeks briskly taking a slow breath. 

“I broke,” She took a slower breath the pain still radiating through her body. “Ribs.” She ground out trying to calm herself. 

“What? How?” Steve was out of the bed before Sam could stop him. He hovered near Adelaide waiting for her pain to subside. Sam joined the pair having walked around the bed. 

“We, uh, well long story short she and I,” Steve snapped his head to look at Sam for an explanation. “Jumped out of the fifty fifth floor into a helicopter.” Steve's expression went from confused to stormy. He sputtered with his words for a bit before finally finding what he wanted to say. “She’s not trained, she’s a civilian you had no-“ 

Sam interrupted quickly, “One of the helicarriers rammed straight into Triskelion. There was no other option.” 

There was a beat of silence while the men starred each other down. Steve raked his hands through his hair. This whole ordeal had been too much. Adelaide having stayed quiet during the explanation gently touched Steve’s hand. He looked down at her in response. 

“Sam would you give us a minute?” Steve inquired tightly. 

“Sure thing,” He nodded at the pair before briskly walking out of the room. 

 

“How did you even find him?” 

“I saw him crash through the window from the office area they kept me in.” Adelaide paused, “I wanted to help him. We were supposed to get out of there but Rumlow showed up. It happened so quickly.” She tapered off at the end. 

“Adelaide, I shouldn’t,” He sighed audibly, “I should’ve warned you before.” 

“Steve how could you have known. Natasha told,” She stopped speaking when Steve interrupted. 

“Natasha? You know her.” 

“Yeah, she was looking after me when they brought me here. She’s really nice.”  
Steve stayed quiet for a moment. He was coming to terms with the fact that he had failed to keep the one person he wanted to protect from all of this. 

“You couldn’t have known.” Adelaide prompted. 

“I was home.” Steve began. “I came home but I needed time after debriefing. SHIELD keeps a lot of secrets but this whole thing was HYDRA. I didn’t know it then, I couldn’t understand why people wanted to allow fear of what others could do, affect how to protect them.” 

“You were home, why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I went to the Smithsonian,” Adelaide pulled a face. “Sometimes, it’s the only place I can see a familiar face and then I went to visit someone who was,” He paused. “I went to visit Peggy for advice afterwards.” 

Adelaide looked quietly up at him afterwards she had a feeling he wasn’t done yet. “Then I went home, I was going to call you from there but Fury was in my apartment and it all went to hell after that.” 

Adelaide nodded her head in understanding. She couldn’t fault Steve for any of his admissions. What he was going through, felt beyond her sometimes. She could only hope to endeavor to comfort him to the best of her ability. She looked up at him again. “I’m glad you’re safe. This wasn’t your fault.” 

She stepped forward to gently hug him. He wrapped his arms around her gently this time bringing his face down to her hair smelling her. Before long his hand were weaving through her dark locks finding her jaw line to tilt it towards him. They kissed so gently but the urgency was there. 

He quickly broke the kiss to nuzzle her nose, he was afraid of bring her further pain. “I love you.” He breathed. Adelaide’s eyes watered slightly, “I love you too.” 

 

He smiled her favorite iridescent smile, and all her anxieties washed away. They were reunited again stronger this time and Steve felt that for now the worst had passed.


	14. One Day at a Time.

Chapter 14. One Day at A Time. 

 

Not long after Steve had reveled himself to Adelaide as Captain America, had he insisted on giving her self defense lessons. These lessons went on like attempting to get a cat in a bath. Adelaide complained that getting a lesson from him was ridiculous and she would get no where close to his level. Ever. 

"It's not about that Addie." Steve sighed for the thousandth time. He monitored her as she jabbed, seemingly lightly, at the punching bag. "I just want you prepared for the what ifs." 

Her breathing was labored and she eyed him wearily knowing better then to stop without his instruction to do so. "You think" she paused for breath, "someone would come after me?" 

"I hope not." He replied quietly. There was a beat and he finally stopped her. "Okay lets work on combat again." 

She groaned like an embarrassed teenager. Steve smiled to himself. "You're getting better Addie, remember one day at a time."

"Yeah. Yeah, one day at a time." She chorussed, throwing the first punch. 

This probably wasn't her thing, he thought, she was more of a running and yoga girl. But he felt himself appreciating the extra muscle and tightening appearing in different areas of her body and the piece of mind he felt when she was able to block him (at a quarter strength) successfully. 

He had her easily with her arm pulled behind her back. "Common Adelaide, dont get sloppy." She struggled in vein against him. "So I tripped a bit, I'm not exactly the most graceful human being." He shook his head holding her still, enjoying their close proximity. "So what now?" He whispered in her ear, getting ahead of himself. 

With her opportunity presented she quickly jabbed her elbow into his side. She knew it didn't hurt him, but he was going along with quarter strength, as promised, so he released her to feign pain. With that she easily slipped her foot behind his and pulled to trip him. He fell dramatically to the floor and she shook her head at him. "Might as well have taken a drama class." 

"Again not everyone is going to be as strong as I am." He quipped. 

"Yeah not everyone is the super strong soldier." Her attitude underling "the". 

He chuckled with her getting up from the floor. 

 

How could he have known then that his preparations in self defense did end up helping her. He had boosted her confidence and strength enough to break a nose when needed. 

But she admitted to herself as she reflected on the time before this whole HYDRA ordeal, she would never be as skilled or strong as Steve. She was not cut for the life of a spy or soldier. She was too kind hearted and bravado could only carry her so far. 

Steve knew this as well and his anxiety of protecting her was looming over him. He stood in the shower wondering how he was going to go about finding Bucky and carrying on with Adelaide. Was it even possible to want to succeed at both?

He shut of the tap and stepped out of the cramped stall. The wash down was a God sent and he felt immensely better after the fact. 

After toweling off and dressing himself in civilian clothing he emerged from the bathroom noticing Adelaide lounging on a chair near his hospital bed. 

She smiled up a him, "you clean up nice."

"Thanks." There was a pause, "Adelaide there is something else I want to talk to you about." 

She cringed as she sat up a little straighter in her seat. "Okay, Shoot." 

He went on to describe James "Bucky" Barnes and his whole role in the HYDRA ordeal. Steve explained every last detail up unto his last encounter with Bucky on the helicarrier. It didn't escape his knowledge that Adelaide turned pensive with his descriptions. 

"You said he had a metal arm?" 

Steve nodded wondering where she was going with that. It was the only question she had interrupted him with. 

"He was one of the men that brought me in." She explained, "he was always in the room with Rumlow." 

Steve's eyebrows shot up. "Did he hurt you?" 

"Well, he ruffed me up a bit." With Steve's pained expression, Adelaide was quick to redeem Bucky. "But when I asked him to let go of me in the car he did it right away and he stopped Rumlow from hurting me." 

Steve looked up, "hurting you? As in more than just the smack to your face?" 

Adelaide shrugged, "Yeah after I slugged him he was pretty pissed. Uhm, Bucky." She sounded a bit awkward repeating his nickname to Steve. "Was on him pretty quick after he slammed me on the desk." 

"He slammed you on the desk?" Steve was in disbelief, if he had been there... 

"Yeah but Bucky stopped him." 

There was silence for a long time before Steve finally spoke up again. "Adelaide I have to go after him." He spoke quietly, enough to cause Adelaide anxiety. 

"I know." She replied equally as quiet. After a beat she continued, "go after him like a mission, I'll be here for you when you come back."

Steve shook his head slightly, "it wont be like a mission Addie, like where I have all the answers in advance. I don't know where he is or even where to start. Natasha said she'd call in a few favors but," He paused to grab her hands. "I don't know how long it'll take, where it will lead me. I'm scared." His eyes scorched when they met hers. "I don't want you as collateral damage incase I get mixed up in something bad." 

Adelaide's eyes watered slightly before looking down, grasping back at his hands with equal favor. "I don't care. Steve I love you. Go out, come back. Whatever you have to do." 

His eyes burned into hers wondering if he could even allow himself to be so selfish. 

"You've wandered too long Steve, I'm here for you if you'll have me. I don't think you'll ever have a normal enough life, but you deserve someone who cares and loves you." She paused attempting to swallow past the lump in her throat. "And I'd really like it if that person was me." 

Steve felt his heart flutter, the sincerity in her eyes was tangible. He softly tucked her hair behind her ears, leaning in to kiss her gently. "One day at a time?" He answered softly. 

She laughed quietly, finally some stray tears falling down her face. "Yeah, one day at a time." He used his thumbs to wipe away the trail. "As long as it's a long time." 

He chuckled back to her, "I hope so."


	15. Golden Heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has kudo'd and read my story.  
> This one is extra long I think! It's funny when I see someone left a kudo it makes me really happy. Funny how the little things count! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, 
> 
> Enjoy  
> XOXO

Chapter 15. Golden Heart. 

 

The first few months of Adelaide's return brought an awareness of the world around her. The city was louder, the flowers she sold were more fragrant, and even food tasted more delectable. Suddenly the world seemed to open up, there was more going on than just her own personal bubble and somehow that made her feel more connected to those around her. 

Steve couldn't help but notice her happiness after having been let out from the underground base. A month had passed by pleasantly. Steve would only disappear for a few days out of the week to work with Sam and check in on leads. Nothing too eventful or promising had happened. 

Yet. 

It was growing colder in D.C. The beautiful fall leaves had all but scattered and an arctic chill from up north was blowing in. Halloween had passed and they were set in the early weeks of November, and Adelaide had to finally concede to closing her favorite window for fresh air. 

"Why do you always keep that window open." Steve wondered aloud to her; watching as she reluctantly closed it. 

"I like to hear the cars go by. Sometimes it gets a little lonely when no one else is here. Also it kind of gets stale in here."

Steve shook his head at her, "that" he began as he reached out as she walked closer. Wrapping one arm around her the other tapped her forehead. "Is in your head." 

Adelaide swatted his hand away stubbornly. "It is not." 

There was a moment of silence between the two while they both enjoyed the comforts of proximity. Adelaide was the first to break the silence. 

"Steve, I was wondering something." 

"Hmm." He muttered absently, drawing circles on her bare arm. 

"Well Thanksgiving is coming up, I was wondering if you would spend it with me and my family, in Arlington." 

Immediately Steve froze. He had never met Adelaide's mother and from the description she seemed intimidating. Come to think of it, he had never met a girl, let alone a girlfriends, mother. Ever. 

"Don't be scared. It's not just my mom. My grandpa will be there, you'll like him he fought in World War Two too for the British army. And there's also my dad's sister Elizabeth, her husband Will, and my cousins too." Adelaide paused taking in Steve's slightly horrified expression. 

"You don't want to come?" She asked quietly. 

"Adelaide don't you think it might be weird that your grandfather and I fought in the same war and we would look nothing alike and to top it off I'm dating his granddaughter?" 

"I don't think he'll think anyone is good enough for me." She grinned toothily at him. 

"Seriously, Addie." His expression had turned serious making her defensive. 

"Well if circumstances were different maybe you would be an older man with your own family. But that's not the case Steve. No one is going to fault you or dislike you because of what happened to you." She spoke quietly, on the fence about her own reply. 

His eyes were thick with emotion and he seemed to withdraw himself. Adelaide could nearly kick herself. Why wasn't there a manual that had come with him, she thought desperately. She knew she had just said the wrong thing. Now her mind was spinning with ways to make it right. 

Adelaide tried to look him in the eye but they were so far off. She tried for a moment not to think of a different scenario where Steve Rogers had never crashed the plane and managed to live happily ever after with Peggy Carter. 

Her eyes filled with tears. In an alternative world she would have been non the wiser to ever having knowing him. He would have been happier, never wise to the troubles he was facing currently. 

And she, would never have known him. Never knowing him the way she did now. The way he smiled at her in the morning, the way he laughed and flirted unabashedly. She would have never known what it was like when his eyes met hers from across a room and the way they would smile then, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. 

 

She took a deep breath in, trying to compose herself away from the direction her thoughts had turned. She could never be so selfish as to wish he should prefer the end the fates chose for him. But that thought didn't help either and she drew herself closer to him, hiding herself in his shirt. 

For a moment he was unresponsive. He seemed to break out of his revere when he drew her in closer, his hand digging into her hair while the other snaked around her waist. 

"I'm sorry" She murmured into his shirt. She was hoping her voice wouldn't give her away but he picked up on it. He pulled away enough to examine her face. 

"Are you crying?" His face had changed. He no longer had the far off look in his eyes. 

"You would have been happier." She managed to choke out before clinging closer to him hiding her weepy eyes. She took a deep breath attempting again to reign in her tears. They were selfish. 

 

Steve stood shocked for a moment starring at the windows in her apartment. It was night out, and with all the lights on in her living area he would see their reflection in them. 

Would he have been happier? He remembered all the months after he woke up replaying what had happened. The anger, the hurt, the sadness, and the despair all cumulated and overtook him at times. It would keep him up at night, and it would either take long wash downs, the only place he felt safe enough to break down and truly feel the anguish of what had happened. Or long night session of gym time attempting to use the zen moments of physicality to use. 

But that had been just over two years ago. He had come to terms with it, and in many ways he could see that maybe it was a blessing it had happened. The world now, maybe, needed Captain America. More so than the world he had left behind. 

As he looked down at his girl, in his arms he wondered if maybe she needed him too. 

"I love you" He whispered down at her, bring himself lower to rest his head on her forehead. He closed his eyes allowing himself the moment of bliss he felt. She tilted her head up tentatively and he met her what was supposed to be a brief kiss. 

But as soon as they connected he felt an electricity flow through him and everything that had come to pass was suddenly white noise. Her hands reached up and ran through his hair grabbing it gently. She perched on her tip toes, attempting to alleviate the strain he experienced from bending to meet her. 

There was a ripping noise, and she briefly realized that it was her camisole falling off of her easily followed quickly by her bra.

He took his time using his fingers to feel every vertebrae on her spine, feeling the soft skin covering it. He used his palms to rub up feeling her shoulder blades, and then back down to slide his hands into the back of her leggings. The elastic waistband stretched easily enough for him and he slipped passed her panties to squeeze her bottom. 

She groaned into his mouth. Her own hands had wandered to the bottom of his shirt slipping under it to feel his chest. Adelaide didn't think she'd ever tire of his physique. Having him with her was like having Adonis sleep in your bed. 

She heard another ripping noise and was briefly worried it had been her favorite leggings. But suddenly the confines of his shirt loosened and she helped him slip it off. 

He began to walk her towards her bedroom where it was warmer. They bumped clumsily into the wall before he finally lifted her to his waist. Neither of them had parted for more than a quick breath, from each other's lips. 

He laid them both down gently on the bed. Using his elbows to keep his full weight off of her. His hand tenderly brushed the hair from her face when they finally parted, both slightly panting. 

Their eyes were thick with emotion and Adelaide couldn't help but repeat her apology quietly to him. He shook his head in response dismissively. 

He leaned down again rubbing his nose with hers, something he always enjoyed doing because it made her laugh, and when she did he was reminded of the tinkling of a wind chime. 

Moving he began with kissing her forehead, cheek, lightly brushing her lips, and then moved down to her neck. "I love you" he muttered against her skin and continued lower to the juncture between neck and collarbone. "I love you" he murmured again moving lower now. 

Her chest was exposed to him and he could see the rapid fall and rise of her breasts. She squirmed under him and he smiled to himself. He brought his hands to cup her right breast in his hand gently maneuvering it around. She took in an audible breath and he looked up into her eyes holding the contact as he lowered his mouth to her peak. Just before he reached it, nearly a millimeter from it; so agonizingly close. He whispered, "I love you" before clamping his lips around it and swirling his tongue. 

Adelaide arched her back in response, her useless hands rushed to his hair and her mouth slightly gaped open. Her entire body tingled to accompany the actions he was doing to her breast. Her mind was utterly empty only focused on him and how he was making her feel. It was dizzying. 

Steve moved on repeating his actions to the second breast, before moving down to place wet kisses on her abdomen. Each time muttering an "I love you" before reaching the hem of her leggings. He tugged both pant and underwear down sensually, once again locking eye contact with Adelaide. 

Now by her ankles and off the bed, he took her knees and yanked her closer to him. Surprised she let out a gasp, but it was the only reaction. Usually when he did this to her she would giggle or protest playfully. But there was something different about tonight. The way he was holding her and treating her almost reverently. 

He began kissing his way up her left thigh and all thoughts of reflection on his actions left her. She watched him as he lifted his head slightly to look at her. "I love you" but this time it wasn't Steve, Adelaide finally beat him to the punch and he smiled softly at her before repeating the sentiment full heartily. 

He pulled her lips apart slightly blowing on her clit. He inclined his head forward to smell her and he sighed. His erection twitched in response giving him a euphoric feeling. He brought himself closer taking a tentative lick, which caused Adelaide to jump slightly. 

The lick, was like an electric shock, that suddenly sent the two in to a frenzy. He licked agonizingly slow at first before suckling, latching his lips on her. At one point he grazed her with his teeth so gently that the solid surface only served to turn her on more. 

He pushed one finger into her before joining it with two. By then Adelaide was gasping and muttering his name repeatedly like a prayer. He brought her to crescendo and she nearly screamed in delight. 

Crawling back up to rest near her head, he watched her squirm in delight after her orgasm. She looked up at him out of breath and watched as he slowly brought the two fingers to his lips, tasting her. Her pupils dilated, and her breath hitched in her throat. He cleaned his fingers off slowly enjoying her reaction. 

He leaned off the bed again, dropping his pants and boxers to the floor before stepping back on. Adelaide reached out her left hand to bring him closer to her. They intertwined again in a deep embrace. Reaching down he brought himself to her entrance and slowly crept in. 

For the first time he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling her walls wet and warm for him. His girl beneath him was wriggling and stretching her neck back sighing contentedly when he fully sheathed himself in her. 

He kissed up and down the column of her exposed throat. Before she finally tipped her chin down to look at him. His elbows rested near her shoulders and she was utterly trapped by him. 

He enveloped his hands in her gloriously silky hair. Her hands moved up and down his back lightly. She tilted up to meet him in a kiss, before whispering "make love to me." 

He pulled back unsheathing himself save for the tip before snapping back his hips quickly. Adelaide gasped and moaned and that became the brutal paise he set for them. 

Their moaning became mutually louder over time, their fingers intertwined, and as Steve moved closer and closer to his own end, he took one more look at the girl below him. He kissed her again so feverishly it knocked the wind out of her lungs. 

He came groaning into her mouth breaking the kiss. Her walls tightened around him and she was gasping for air. Her own end milked him as he lazily pushed himself in and out. 

Collapsing on top of her they both took a moment to calm their breathing and enjoy the post bliss in each other's arms as it simmered away. 

 

"I'll go with you." 

"What?" Adelaide turned her head to look at him again and was shocked by the look he gave her. His eyes had watered slightly, and his tone had become thick. 

"I want this with you Adelaide, not with anyone else. I want to be part of your life, part of your family, part of you." He said this so fiercely, that she did not doubt his words for a moment, not that she ever did. 

Adelaide's eyes began to water again in response. She latched to him quickly, awkwardly feeling his work ooze out between her legs. He rubbed his hand up and down her side lifting her leg to clamp it around his waist. They were so impossibly close that Adelaide found herself loathing the time that they would have to untangle. 

But for now she simply kissed him, "you're something else Steve Rogers." 

"Would you have loved me if I was Steve Rogers, scrawny kid from Brooklyn?" 

Adelaide turned serious immediately, clasping both hands on his cheeks. She met his eyes again, smiling to herself. "Steve I'm pretty sure you still had this handsome face as skinny Brooklyn kid but its beyond that. The first thing I noticed about you were your eyes and the way you thought so intently. There was something about you that put me at ease. I learned that more after we were able to talk longer. You've got a golden heart Steve and I think that's what sets you apart." She lightly tapped his chest where his heart would be beating. 

"Everyone is just a stranger, until they find someone whose soul resonates with theirs. Some call that love." She smiled softly, "So yes, if you're still Steve no matter what you look like, I will still, would have, love you. You fulfill me and challenge me and I cant even put words to how much I love and adore you." 

Through her little speech Steve pulled her closer to him. If he had a golden heart, than she was a golden person. Everything about her resinated with him. He let out a sigh of relief, having fended off, with her response a personal insecurity of his. 

"I love you." He said aloud full of emotion. She only smiled at him, the mischievous glint in her eye returning. "I know." She replied simply, laughing out loud when he flipped her on her back. 

"Good." He replied. 

The night carried on in a frenzy of sighs and gasps varying in volume. This girl could very well be the death of him. But as he pulled out for the last time watching her collapse to the bed in exhaustion. He could only see his future if she was in it.


	16. Thanksgiving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always fun to write a canon character doing normal things.. Like a Thanksgiving dinner so here you go! 
> 
> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Kudos? Comments? All appreciated! 
> 
>  
> 
> XOXO

Chapter 16. Thanksgiving. 

 

There was something to be said about ordinary. The simple pleasures in life. 

 

Steve held his breath as he walked through the threshold of Adelaide's mother's impressively large home. In an old Mediterranean style, it stood apart from its neighbors. As soon as the pair walked in, their iced cheeks were instantly warmed. Their bellies grumbled at the scents wafting through the home. 

Adelaide turned to Steve smiling before shrugging off her coat and placing it along with her purse on one of the many hooks on the wall near the door. She looked at him expectantly as he shrugged off his own outer jacket. 

 

The week leading up to Thanksgiving was an experience for the two. Mostly for Steve who was taught a lesson in twenty first century fashion. Adelaide kindly abided by his strict no "skinny" anything rule. She had managed to persuade him into a charcoal suit that fit closer to his body without suffocating him, and a crisp white button up. 

He complained the entire time of course, seemingly unsure of the new modern styles. But Adelaide insisted it was a fair trade for all her hours in self defense training. 

He conceded. 

So now here he was admiring Adelaide in her navy blue dress. Her hair was swept away from her face and he was given a pleasant view of her neck. 

She grabbed his hand reassuringly, and lead him through a long hallway and into a large living room. He stopped abruptly looking at a picture in an intricately carved wooden frame. "Is this you?" Steve asked looking down at a small child grinning widely at the camera.

Her eyes were closed and she was wearing a two piece bathing suit striking a silly pose. Next to her, sitting in the sand was a man he could only assume to be her father. His blonde hair was a sandy color and glinted in the sunshine. He looked to be laughing at the camera, or rather whom was holding it. 

"Yeah and my dad." She stood next to him smiling at the photo. 

"You were cute." 

He smiled down at her, a brief flash flitted through his mind of what it would be like to have a daughter. He shook his head briefly, he was terrible with babies anyway. 

 

She tugged on his hand to lead him through another hallway. As they walked closer to what he assumed was the kitchen, the smells of dinner seemed to overwhelm his senses pleasantly. 

The kitchen was large and melded into a dinning room. People were gathered around a large island talking a sipping wine, while two women buzzed around putting finishing touches on platters. 

As soon as their presence was acknowledged the room fell silent. All members, save for a small baby, stopped their actions to stare at Steve. The baby carried on grabbing insistently on it's mothers necklace. 

"Well geez, don't all rush up and greet me guys." Adelaide quipped breaking the awkward moment immediately. 

A woman with dark hair, so similar to Adelaide's, and dressed regally approached them first wiping her hands on her apron. She reached out to Adelaide to hug and kiss her. She greeted her with "my love". 

"Hi mom." Adelaide returned, eager to return her mother's affections. 

"Mom this is Steve Rogers. Steve this is my mom Otillia Collins." Adelaide introduced them taking a step back. Steve was quick to extend his hand to Otillia, paired with "It's nice to meet you ma'am." 

She raised an eyebrow at his hand, before stepping forward to give him a motherly hug. Steve was so shocked by the action, it took him a moment to awkwardly return the hug. 

Otillia retracted. "We are very affectionate in this family" she stated simply, patting his arm in comfort. 

"Oh, strong." 

She turned away awkwardly, smiling to her daughter who laughed in response. She gave the pair space to be received by the rest of the family members. 

"So you're Steve Rogers." Her aunt exclaimed. Her husband, interrupted whatever his wife was going to follow up her statement with. "We saw your exhibit at the Smithsonian when we came a few days ago." Their accents were obviously british. 

"Oh uh, thank you." Steve shook hands with both, before the husband piped up again. "I'm sorry this is Elizabeth and I'm William, you can call me Will." 

Steve smiled pleasantly at the pair, "What part of England are you from?" 

"Liverpool." Elizabeth smiled gently. "We're all over the place, this family, but we like to come here for American Thanksgiving, for good company." She smiled gently at Adelaide, who stood back slightly, amused. 

Elizabeth leaned forward to place a kiss on Adelaide's cheek. "Hi Tia" Adelaide greeted sweetly. Will moved forward to hug her heartily. "Hello love" He greeted ruffling her hair. Adelaide smoothed her hair dramatically after the fact. "Hi Tio." 

Another woman had managed to squeeze her way into the group. She was the second girl who had bustled around the kitchen with Adelaide's mother. "Hello," she greeted. "Steve this is Iliana, she's visiting from Spain she's a cousin of my mom's." Adelaide gestured bringing Iliana closer.

Steve accepted her hug and turned his head awkwardly when she kissed both cheeks. "It's nice to meet you" Steve returned; standing at his full height. 

Will and Elizabeth had left, and were replaced with a younger group. One was a blonde woman with a baby on her hip. She shook his hand graciously, introducing herself, her husband, and child as Lauren, Aiden, and baby Georgina. 

A weary looking young man walked forward greeting Adelaide first, the pair talked for a moment before falling silent. He looked at Steve with an unreadable expression, waiting his turn patiently. 

"I'm Greg." He extended his hand meeting Steve's in a strong handshake. Steve nodded returning, "nice to meet you." 

Greg, unlike most of the family wasn't starstruck so much with Steve, only curious. "So they found you in the ice?" He prompted without much warning. Adelaide's expression grew annoyed throwing a warning look at him. 

Steve cleared his throat unsure how that had become a pleasant topic for small talk. "Yes. They found me in ice." Greg nodded his head, "that's amazing. Ice is like sand constantly moving and changing." Steve nodded in agreement. 

"Greg there's no need to make our guest more uncomfortable than the lad is already." Came a raspy thick Scottish accent. Steve nearly jumped when an elderly robust man appeared from behind him. The three of them turned their heads in attention. 

Adelaide was first to react walking swiftly into her grandfather's waiting arms. "Hi Pop" she greeted him warmly. 

"Pop this is Steve Rogers. Steve this is my grandfather, Thomas Collins." 

It was a surreal moment for Steve when his eyes met with Adelaide's grandfather. He shook his hand firmly, "Captain" Thomas greeted. "Sir", Steve returned much to Thomas' amusement. 

"We heard a lot about you Steve, during the war. Our platoon didn't get visited by your show." Steve was unsure how to react at first wondering if he was being made fun of. "Thank you." Steve's eyebrows shot up in response. "For what you did back then, and more recently." He concluded. 

"Thank you sir." Steve smiled suddenly put at ease. 

"Please, Tom is fine." 

Tom lead Steve away hoping to get more details from the war and Adelaide watched on amused. 

"You're dating a grandpa, Addie." She huffed as she turned to look at Greg. Thunking him on the head wordlessly, she moved on to help her mother and Iliana. 

 

Forty minutes later, after much fussing from Otillia's end, the table had been set turkey and all. Everything had been decorated immaculately, and the food had been slaved over to delectable perfection. 

Steve stood up from the seat he had taken with Thomas, nursing a brandy. He glanced around the room to find Adelaide washing her hands in the sink. Walking over to her, he leaned against the counter top and waited for her to finish.She dried her hands and led him to the table where everyone stood behind their chairs. 

Adelaide's mother joined hands with her neighbors and the entire family followed suit. She led the family prayer, giving thanks to God for family and all their blessings, even mentioning Steve as a welcomed guest at their table. During the prayer Steve used his thumb to rub Adelaide's hand, while she glared at Greg from across the table. Baby Georgina cooed noisily next to Adelaide. 

Steve smiled to himself, initially the experience of having a Thanksgiving meal later at night rather than lunch was an odd notion to him. He looked around the table as everyone took a seat and began helping themselves to food chatting loudly. He realized that different wasn't so different. 

Throughout the meal, Adelaide was attentive to him, but also joined in with her family conversing, joking, and initiating teasing. Together they sat at the table for about an hour, long after their individual meals had been consumed. Adelaide had taken a turn holding her baby cousin and Steve looked wearily at the baby when it reached out to grab his arm. 

"She likes your jacket." Adelaide teased, knowing Steve's aversion to children. But little Georgina seemed to insist on Steve's attention, even after Adelaide attempted to distract her. Steve finally relinquished allowing the baby to sit on his lap. He held on to her carefully, "you don't think I'll drop her?" He whispered to Adelaide. 

After taking a sip of wine, she replied "even if you accidentally let her go. We're all seated too close for her to actually fall to the ground." 

Lauren turned to Adelaide and Steve, "Not good with kids Steve?" She inquired. It almost sounded judgmental Steve noted, as Lauren made meaningful eye contact with Adelaide. 

"Not a lot of practice." Steve replied confidently, hoping to fend off his inadequacy. 

Georgina cooed in response reaching up to pull on his collar. Steve easily unlatched her little fingers and was surprised when she wrapped them around his index finger. He wiggled his finger subtly trying to free it and the baby laughed in response heartily. 

The entire family turned to look at Steve and Georgina, before laughing when he repeated the action to have the same effect. Little Georgina, like most babies managed to do, had wormed her way into Steve Roger's heart and he was almost disappointed when Lauren retrieved her a while later. Almost. 

 

It was late into the night when Adelaide and Steve gave their final goodbyes to her family. Otillia, who had managed to steal a conversation with Steve from Thomas, invited him personally to Christmas. 

As they huddled together to rush back to Adelaide's car, Steve felt a perfect contentedness seep through him. With a huff, Adelaide fell into the driver's seat chanting "freezing". Steve sat patiently in the passenger seat waiting for her to turn the car on, along with the heater. Before she could put the car in gear he clasped her hand in his. 

Adelaide looked at him questioningly, before he leaned in to kiss her. When they parted Adelaide commented with "not so bad then?" 

 

He shook his head. No it was not a bad experience at all.


	17. Handled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update today. It was fun writing leisurely chapters but here's where my plot happens... LOL
> 
> Sorry for the delay. 
> 
> Kudos? Comments? 
> 
> XOXO

Chapter 17. Handled.

 

 

Adelaide hung from a bar, starring up at it nervously. Her hands were sweaty and her strength was giving. The longer she starred at it, the harder it was to focus. One bar blurred to three. 

It almost looked like she was about to fall, when she felt a hand cup her bottom. It lifted her up easily so she could touch the bar with her chin. 

"Five more." Came Steve's commanding voice breaking her revere. 

Adelaide took another breath attempting to calm her mind and convince herself she could in fact make five more pull ups. 

She slowly dropped her body weight down, before pulling it up quickly again. So became the rhythm for the next three pull ups. On her fifth and last one she announced to Steve that he should be ready to catch her. 

The soldier shook his head, sighing. True to her word she dropped from the bar. True to the man Steve was, he easily caught her before she fell to the ground. Even if he had contemplated allowing her to fall to the floor just to teach her a lesson. 

"Adelaide, the point in strength training is to help you be more resilient. What happens if I'm not there to catch you?" He still had his authoritative "I'm Captain America" voice. 

She rolled her eyes at him, letting herself down. She didn't respond right away, walking over to her towel and water bottle. She guzzled it down greedily before squirting some on her towel. After she had wiped her face, she looked at him. 

He of course had followed her taking a swig from his own bottle leisurely. "You gunna keep the Cap voice every time we do this?" He looked at her quirking an eyebrow. 

"Yes because you need firm discipline, otherwise you'd have convinced me out of these lessons." 

"I need firm discipline?" Adelaide looked over at him utterly amused. Steve's expression was unreadable. 

It was true Adelaide was a bit tricky and manipulative when it came to these sessions. Often times she'd use every excuse in her book if only to delay it by ten minutes. 

But moving Steve's set opinion was like picking a mountain up and dropping it elsewhere because it obstructed your view. 

Pointless and impossible. 

So she conceded without skipping a lesson once. 

She plunked to the ground idly, stretching her legs out in front her her. "We're not done." Authoritative Steve intervened. 

Adelaide dramatically fell to her side in a fetal position. "Cant go on. Dying. Dead." She muttered before relaxing her body to feign expiration. "Alright slacker common." He picked her up easily before dropping her back on her feet. 

Steve Roger's bootcamp was an experience mere mortals should attempt to avoid. He kept Adelaide at it for another thirty minutes totaling a two hour gym session; only pausing to eat a snack in between. 

Steve laughed at Adelaide. She wobbled around like a new born deer as they headed to the exit. She glared at him and he leaned down to kiss her forehead for forgiveness. 

As they exited to the bitter winter that D.C was suffering from, Steve was quick to hold on to Adelaide. She was bundled up, layer upon layer. But he was more afraid of her falling than anything else. 

Happy for the extra warmth she clung to him, shoving the hand that had wrapped around him into his coat pocket. He smiled down at her. 

"I'm hungry." She admitted. 

"Me too. Should we pick something up?" 

"Sounds good. I'm not up for cooking." 

"Can we get Chinese?" 

Adelaide nodded enthusiastically before becoming pensive. 

"Steve how many nights a week do you stay at my apartment?" 

He looked down at her unsure of where she was heading with this. 

"I only go home for a change of clothes really." He admitted. 

She walked quietly next to him and he was feeling anxious to know where she was going with her topic. 

"Do you want to just, move in with me?" 

He blinked a few times at her. "Adelaide, isn't" He paused. "Shouldn't only married couples live together? Do you want me to make you an honest woman?" 

Adelaide's laughed immediately, not predicting that answer. "I'm not honest?" She teased back, knowing full well what he meant. Before she could answer Steve made a gesture with his hand for her to cease talking for a moment. 

He held onto her a little tighter, taking in their surroundings. To ambush Steve Rogers was rare, if not an impossible feat. His eyes scanned the quiet residential street. 

That's when he saw it. 

Two men approaching from opposite sides of the street, the SUV parked just a few feet from them, and he could feel more approaching from behind. 

"Adelaide." 

She looked up at him fearfully, having deduced exactly what he had. "There's more behind us." She murmured. 

"Stay close doll." 

Steve pushed Adelaide behind him slightly. "Can we help you with something gentlemen?" 

The two that approached had joined on Steve's and Adelaide's side and now stood a good distance in front of them. 

For a brief moment, Adelaide hoped that Steve was simply paranoid. But she knew that he wasn't. His instincts were dead on. 

"Just come quietly, Steve Rogers, and we can let the girl walk free." 

Steve and Adelaide glanced at each other. Adelaide subtly shook her head 'no'. 

 

She could feel the anticipatory adrenaline rush through her blood stream. Her respiratory system sped up, and she could feel the pain in her legs ease. 

Steve was first on them rushing forward as he noticed a gun being pulled from it's holster. 

It all happened so quickly after that. 

Adelaide turned on a dime to see a woman and a man rush towards her. She took a deep breath reminding herself what Steve had prepared her with. 

Adelaide pushed his arm away as he swung at her, nearly slipping before quickly lifting her knee up to groin him. He fell easily to the ground, before the woman was upon her. She was faster, Adelaide noticed. 

The woman with her white blonde hair was first to land the punch. Adelaide quickly recovered. She took a step forward, to side kick her lending her some space. Before she could react further to defend herself, her first assailant had grabbed her from behind pulling her neck to her left shoulder. 

She kicked and thrashed and looked desperately around, but nothing helped. She felt the pinch, and her vision blurred not long after. 

Her world became so silent; like being underwater. Her last memory was of the blonde speaking softly to her. 

 

Steve had been surrounded by eight men, not long after he took on the initial two. They corralled him further away from Adelaide. It was a distraction, he realized. They had never intended to let her go. 

Desperately, he knocked man after man to the ground, trying to get a better view of her. 

"Enough." A woman's voice cut through, effectively breaking up the fight. 

She was holding Adelaide's body against her own, pointing a gun to her victims skull. 

"On your knees soldier." 

The pair locked eyes; shocking blue to bored piercing green. She released the safety, and the gun locked loudly into place, preparing a round. "I have no reservations for spilling this girl's brain matter onto the street. So I'll say this again." She smiled at him coyly, "On. Your. Knees." Each word punctuated with malice. 

Steve relinquished, placing one knee down first followed by the other one. Three men rushed to secure him easily, now that he wasn't resisting. "What did you do to her?" He looked up at the blonde woman. 

"She's feisty this one." She handed Adelaide's rag doll body to her assistant and she was carried to the awaiting SUV. Steve looked on helplessly. Trying to figure a way out of this. 

"She'll be fine, maybe one hell of a headache but otherwise, fine when she wakes up. You." She paused slinking up towards him, unafraid he'd attack her now. She crouched down to make direct eye contact with him. 

"Well just remember, we'll have her when you wake up." 

Steve hissed when he felt an abrupt pinch to his neck. He struggled in spite of himself. But the men held him easily. 

The woman chuckled as they loaded him into the trunk of the SUV. "Who knew Captain America would be so easily handled." 

 

The blacked out SUV took off noisily into the night.


	18. Illuminated.

Chapter 18. Illuminated. 

 

Waking up for Adelaide was like surfacing after jumping into a deep pool. First, the world is so quiet and the only thing you know is to swim to the surface for air. Then you can make out blurry details of figures above you. She could make out people and scenery but only just so. 

 

_"Fertility levels low."_

_"Induced. A few months and it'll leave her system."_

_"Should we sterilize now?"_

 

But as soon as you break the surface the world comes back to you in a rush. All the details of your surroundings immediately known. 

_"Doctor come take a look at this DNA strand."_

_"What is it?"_

_"A mutation?"_

 

The beeping of machines were the first details she noticed. In a panic she moved to get up from her laying position but was restrained. Her wrists were immovable. 

She was stuck. Even her head had been detained. 

She felt the anxiety rise, she could feel her toes go cold, her breathing escalated, and her heart rate raced in time with the monitor. 

She pulled again desperately at the restraints with all her might. Nothing budged. 

Her eyes began watering and out of her peripheral she could see a woman, whom she could only assume to be medically trained, move to hover closer to her. 

She held some sort of electronic pad that initially fascinated Adelaide in a surprising way. 

"There now, all that worry gone?" She spoke to Adelaide softly, but there was no doubt that her accent still shined through. She could only pinpoint it to some Eastern European country. 

Adelaide could make out another man fiddling with her IV, injecting the last amount of a syringe into the pump. Immediately, she felt so calm that resting as she was seemed like a good idea. 

"Alright we're ready for our first test. Bring over the serum." 

Adelaide watched disinterested, as the man returned with a larger syringe full on a purple looking liquid. It was as if she were watching a movie and had no control over the events taking place in front of her. 

Suddenly she felt much too tired to even bother with it. She fell into a deep so quickly. She faded to black. 

 

Steve awoke groggily. He was disoriented and his limbs were slow to the response. He heard the voice of a woman speaking faintly. As his senses returned to him he could make out the beeps of machines, the sting of an IV in his arm, and the conversation happening around him. 

"He's coming around." 

"Relax there's enough sedative to hold down an OX." 

"He doesn't even have control over his frontal lobe, let alone the ability to power his way off the table." 

There was a chorus of laughter before silence ensued. It took Steve a moment to realize his mind had translated that from Russian. 

His mind fogged out. 

 

When he came around again he was more lucid and attempted opening his eyes. He was on a bed and unrestrained. He quickly rushed to his feet and realized it was a mistake. 

His vision swam and black dots nearly obscured his sight all together. He held his head for a moment allowing himself to readjust. 

He opened his eyes and realized he was detained. In the room there were two beds, a table, and nothing else. 

There was a loud commotion outside, the large metal door pinged loudly, and then cranked before opening. 

The woman from before entered, her gun freely on display. She smiled at him, the way a cat peers upon the mouse. 

"Got a present for you big guy." She winked, and a beat later two men entered the room. One held a seemingly sleeping Adelaide bridal style. He moved over to place her on the bed next to Steve, while the second man pointed a rather lethal looking gun at Steve. 

As soon as she was placed on the bed both men retracted to stand near the blonde woman. 

Steve leveled her with an intimidating stare that she only returned with a smile.

"If she dies call for me." She winked again before walking out. Both men exited promptly and the door was soundly locked. 

Her statement greatly troubled Steve and he turned quickly to walk to where Adelaide lay. She was pale and her body was covered in sweat. He placed a hand on her forehead. 

"Son of a bitch."

He retracted his hand. She was unnaturally hot. His anxiety shot through the roof. He could only imagine what a group of people interested in him would be wanting. But to use it on her? 

His eyes shifted around quickly, mind racing for a plan. He had no idea where he was, how many people he was up against, or even who was at the bottom of it all. 

Adelaide began shivering so much so her entire body racked with it. 

His resolve steeled. Whoever it was, was going to be sorry by the time he was through with them. 

Over the next hour, keeping track with the wall clock, Adelaide only got worse. 

Her body racked with shivers and she began murmuring incoherencies. Steve paced back and forth, switching from banging on the door to kneeling by her bed to hold her hand. 

It was the first time in a long time he felt utterly helpless. By hour three, she switched from whimpering to sobbing. She was awake now, but utterly disoriented. 

"Addie?" He shook her attempting to bring her to her senses. 

"Addie. Adelaide baby, please." He desperately held on to her face, brushing her tears aside and the hair stuck to her forehead. 

She was sputtering, her eyes clamped shut and Steve realized she was attempting to speak. 

"I hurt." It was all she could manage before she was racked again with shivers. 

Steve was immediately up. Ready to storm the door again. But just as he got up and turned his back on her, she gasped so violently it sent a cold jolt through his body. 

He turned slowly afraid of what he'd find. She was so still. Her chest no longer rose and fell rapidly. He head had lolled to the side going limp with the rest of her body. 

"No." 

He was down to the bedside quickly checking her vitals. "Hey!" He called out to the door. He rushed the door again kicking and slamming his fist on it. "She's not breathing!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. 

His mind couldn't even process what was happening. He stepped back as four men busted through the door. Two held him at gunpoint, one held the door and another ushered in a woman in a lab coat. 

They both knelt by her bed fussing over her. The woman stood up quickly and walked away muttering something to her self about "methods." The man scooped Adelaide's limp body from the bed and followed after the woman. 

Steve had enough, the thought of her body in their procession enraged him. The two men began shooting as soon as he lunged forward. He easily disarmed them, killing them. 

Steve knew that everything in him had been enhanced with the serum. His loyalty to those he loved, his compassion, and his heart were all amplified. And right now his heart was breaking. 

Just as he rushed to stop the pair that had taken her from him, he was kicked off his feet. It didn't surprise him for long, and he was flipped back on to his feet. 

There she was again, the blonde woman smirking at him. "You're so predictable." 

He lunged at her, and she moved easily away. They were in close quarters and the way she was fighting reminded Steve distinctly of Natasha's style. She was fast and was able to manipulate his weight against him. 

But an enraged man, especially a super one, wasn't one to be trifled with. He slammed her against the back wall viciously. Her only response after the air was knocked from her, was to laugh. 

"He fights harder than you do." She muttered starring up at him through her lashes. 

"Who?" 

"The Winter Soldier." 

Steve's mouth slacked only for a moment before his hand cupped at her throat. After all this time. After all the leads that checked out. Why now? 

"Where is he?" 

"Don't worry, you two might become friends again." 

His hand involuntarily squeezed at her throat. In the recesses of his mind he could feel the men that were coming from behind. But he was so enthralled with the way she squirmed desperately as he cut off her air supply painfully. 

"It's already working anyway." She struggled to whisper to him.

Before he could further question her, he felt the sting of the syringe. 

 

When he awoke again he was in a familiar position strapped to a table. It was reclined at a ninety degree angle so he could see the room. 

Machines were beeping; it was all the same. He tilted his head back, he was better off sleeping. _Was she dead?_

 

"You seem troubled my friend." Came a Ukrainian accent. Steve hadn't noticed him from behind. 

The aged man circled to stand in front of Steve. 

"Is she dead?" 

"So pessimistic. I won't let her die, she's too valuable." He walked up to a monitor, flicking his IV bag. 

"I was simply testing a serum on her. Her body rejected it of course." 

If looks could kill, the doctor would have dropped dead. 

When Steve got a better look at him, he realized why he was struck with a feeling of familiarity. 

"You're Uroslav Mann." 

"Doctor Mann, I prefer." 

"What the hell are you doing to her?" 

"You have no idea what was under your nose do you?" 

Steve starred at the doctor confused. Mann chuckled lightly, "not to worry she had no idea either. But it would be safe to assume that where you're going, there is no room for love interests." 

He walked back to his desk pressing an intercom. He spoke quickly in Russian and Steve translated it to himself. "He's awake."

"You my friend will bring in the pretty penny. The Red Room pays top dollar for potential mercenaries." 

"I'm not a mercenary." Steve replied. 

"Of course not!" The man laughed jovially. 

People began spilling into the room bringing in equipment and Steve began to feel more and more nervous. The same woman who had taken Adelaide away moved to his IV with a syringe. 

He attempted to struggle, but suddenly felt so relaxed his strength failed him. Doctor Mann smiled at him approaching him. "I'm sure you're familiar with the Winter Soldier?" 

Steve stilled. 

"You're last thoughts can be contemplating how you will follow in his footsteps." 

The electrocution illuminated the room.


	19. Headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone (or anyone)! 
> 
> I had originally plotted this story to 17 chapters which, obviously didn't happen. But I've got this chapter and a second written up, with a third in development. This has been fun. So to anyone who reads this and liked it enough to Kudo thank you so much! 
> 
> If you have any questions comment them? Thank you again! 
> 
>  
> 
> XOXO  
> Sassy :P

Chapter 19. Headache. 

 

Adelaide's eyes fluttered open. She was laying on a soft bed. Looking around it resembled a regular hospital room. Sitting up happily she wondered if during her time under they had been rescued.

A man walked into the room through a glass door and she watched him with bated breath. She exhaled with a puff when she recognized the female doctor behind him. 

Her dull blonde hair was tied in a knot at the back of her neck. She was aging, that much was obvious by the crinkles near her eyes. But there was something in her hazel eyes that somehow calmed Adelaide. Not by much in retrospect. 

"Where am I?"

"I'm sorry my dear," the Doctor replied, checking her monitors. "But I can't tell you where we are. What I can tell you is that we are no longer at the old facility. Much nicer here I think." 

Adelaide could only remember glimpses of acute awareness. The pain was omnipotent. But she could remember Steve talking to her early on. 

"Where's Steve?" She asked timidly. 

"Ah, well you shouldn't worry too much about him anymore." 

Adelaide stilled, "why not?" 

"Because the Steve you know no longer exists." 

"What did you do to him?" 

Adelaide surprised herself with the amount of malice that laced her words. He chuckled in response. 

"Would you like to see him? If it truly means so much to you?" 

Adelaide nodded her eyes burning into his. "Well stand up. You're free to move." 

She looked around lifting the blanket away from her. She was wearing a black shirt and leggings. She turned to sit at the edge of the bed. Tentatively, she slid off to stand on her feet. _No pain._

When one only knows pain for a long period of time. The sweet relief of normalcy is a blessing. Because remembering the pain is fresh, but enjoying the freedom is absolute bliss. 

She turned to see the doctor smiling jovially. He led her out of the room and down a long hall. They entered a dark room and approached glass pained windows. She peered down to see a training room. 

She could see Steve down below, moving around quickly. He was training with some odd floating object. She nearly jumped when the crackle of an intercom sounded. She looked to her left and found the doctor was pressing a button and speaking into a mic. 

"Steven report to the holding room." 

Adelaide watched below as he immediately halted his actions and turned to disappear behind a door. _Was she missing something? Why was he listening to him?_

"Follow me." 

The pair descended a spiral staircase located in the room to a lower level. She could see through the steps that Steve was waiting below. 

When she and the doctor stepped onto the landing, Adelaide couldn't help herself. She rushed quickly to Steve wrapping her arms around him burying her face into his chest. 

After a beat, she looked up at him questioning his irresponsiveness. He returned her look passively, quirking an eyebrow at her. Adelaide's mouth slightly gaped open. 

There was no recognition or warmth in his starry blue eyes. She took a tentative step back not wanting to evacuate his personal space so soon. 

"Steve?" She questioned hoping for some assurance that everything was okay. 

His eyes roved her head to toe, it immediately made her uneasy. It was as if a stranger was ogling her body. Not a man she was in love with, to whom was free to stare at anything belonging to her, as he pleased. 

When he was done he looked past her to the doctor behind her. "Doctor Mann" he acknowledged. 

"Steven" he began jovially, it unnerved Adelaide. "Do you know who this is?" 

Steve looked back down at Adelaide briefly. "Am I supposed to?" 

Doctor Mann chuckled heartily. Adelaide whipped around having finally lost it. 

"What the hell did you do to him?" She advanced on him contemplating if she could strangle the answer out of him. He smiled putting his hands up and backed up towards the stairs. 

"I would say, I've greatly improved him. He is now at full potential. The ultimate super soldier." 

"He was at full potential you son of a-" Before Adelaide could finish her sentence or advance on him further, she was jerked back so forcefully her head smacked against his chest.

She struggled violently. But she wasn't dealing with quarter strength Steve, or even half strength Steve. This was full, uninhibited, and unattached Steve. He wasn't himself. 

"Let go!" She clawed desperately at the single hand that was a vice grip on the entire circumference of her arm. 

Tears started blurring her vision, and she couldn't stop herself from attempting to put some distance from Steve. 

"What's all this commotion?" It was a female voice and Adelaide immediately turned to find the source. 

Adelaide recognized her as the woman from the night they were taken. She was blonde and wearing a black suit that was like a second skin. Her hair was pin straight and fanned around her shoulders. Her green eyes held a certain maliciousness that Adelaide was sure would be directed at her soon. 

"Ah Cynthia, you're late." Doctor Mann noted. 

"Sorry Doc." Her voice was so salacious that Adelaide wondered if she could make every sentence sound like a sexual promise. But her eyes were not on the doctor, but on Steve instead. 

Adelaide looked up to see him starring impassively back. But it didn't slip her notice that his eyes roved down her body slowly. 

She struggled against him again, her rage had hit a boiling point. He looked down to watch her his eyes becoming angry. "Enough" he spoke harshly grabbing her by her neck stilling her. But it wasn't enough. 

 

Adelaide wanted to _break_ something, she wanted to _scream_ , to _cry_ , to _hurt_ however many people it took to get her out of this mess. Her head began to buzz slightly, and all of a sudden the glass behind them shattered to the floor loudly. 

Steve, Cynthia, and Doctor Mann all turned to look at the damage. There was clapping and Adelaide's eyes turned to look at Doctor Mann. She was still clamped tightly to Steve, but from the shock of the breaking glass his grip had gone slack. 

She took her opportunity, and pushed away from him. He looked back at her as she rubbed her raw neck. Her left eye started twitching and she placed her head down suddenly suffering from a terrible headache. 

Adelaide looked up wearily still clutching her head. Cynthia no longer regarded her smugly. Her passive look was unsettling. 

"Cynthia if you could prepare the helicopter, she has places to be." 

"Steven we'll need your help. I doubt she'll go quietly now." 

Mann turned to ascend the stairs and Cynthia followed suit. 

Adelaide felt like a cornered vermin, when Steve turned his gaze on her. She backed away from him quickly her eyes darting around for some exit. 

He towered over her, a detail Adelaide always knew but it never intimidated her, until now. He analyzed her not yet making a move to grab her. 

"Steve, please. This isn't you." Adelaide was hoping now that they were alone he would break this facade and his eyes would warm genuinely. 

The glass crunched under his boots as he approached her. She racked her brain desperately. "Steve, I love you." He stopped, looking at her oddly. Like she was some stranger on the street who had stopped to confess love to a random. 

He smirked then, laughing at her. It was a full blown mocking laugh. Adelaide felt her stomach drop to her toes. When he finished his eyes held mirth. 

"Stop calling me Steve." 

He walked forward grabbing her nearly lifting her off her feet. He dragged her up the stairs and she followed without a complaint. 

He led her down long halls that seemed to stretch on forever. It took her a some time to realize that tears were falling from her bowed head. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life. Maybe she was just crazy and had imagined the past year with him. Maybe she was in this place for so long she wouldn't know up and down the right way. 

But that would be too easy. Much easier than the prospect of losing a man she loved to people that were much more power than she. 

He pushed open a door that led to the outside world. The sun stung her eyes and the wind whipped painfully against her bare arms. She looked at the helicopter realizing that was where he was leading her to.

It all happened like an out of body experience. She was handed to a man who led her to sit down cuffing her to the seat. She didn't bother to look at him as they slid the doors closed preparing for take off. 

She starred dully at the black seat in front of her. A monotone voice flitted through the recesses of her mind reminding her she had never been in a helicopter before. She felt weightless as they took off from the ground. 

As they ascended, she looked one last time at the man below. He was standing between Cynthia and the Doctor, starring right back at her. 

Her right temple leaned against the glass as she turned away. 

 

 

Steven rubbed his temple as he watched the helicopter with the strange girl take off. 

"What's the matter?" Cynthia asked. 

"Just a headache." He murmured, missing the look she exchanged with Doctor Mann.


	20. Terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Sassy.

Chapter 20. 

**"Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it." - Hunter S. Thomas**

 

Adelaide had never swam in the middle of an ocean before. _Ever._

If she were to have a list of things to do before she died she would put it on there. But you know without the fire and crashed helicopter. She tried not to think of the men who piloted the aircraft. Because they were dead. 

The only thought that she could have was to survive. 

She waded in a circle and that's when she saw it. A big island in the distance. It was tropical from what she could tell. 

"Please don't be Jurassic Park." She announced to no one as she began swimming towards the island. 

She knew she was miles away from shore. She knew she had never swam this far in her life. She knew that there were probably sharks, jelly fish, and all matter of sea creatures that could harm her. It didn't matter. 

_Survive._

So she swam at a decent pace. The closer she got. The more time passed. The bigger the island got. She could make out more details now. 

The water was changing. It was getting harder to swim towards shore and waves lapped near her. 

She could see the large waves crashing on the shore in the distance. 

_Shit._

She could survive a jump from the fifty fifth floor of a sky scraper, she could survive a crashing helicopter, but she cant survive waves crashing on a sketchy looking shore. 

She looked left and right. She was so tired. Wading was causing her arms and legs to cramp. 

"Hey you triathlon swimmers are getting crazier, yeah?" 

Adelaide whipped around looking at a tanned man who couldn't have been much older than she. He was standing on a paddle board with the ore in his hands. 

"What island is this?" She shouted up at him. 

"Honolulu." He replied with a smile, "you alright?" 

_Hawaii, oh thank god._

"Do you think I could catch a ride back to shore with you? I'm cramping." 

"Yeah, hop on." He bent down to kneel on the board to steady it for her. She climbed up uneasily. He was kind and hoisted her up the rest of the way. 

"No swimsuit? Were you trying to beat your time by not changing?" 

"I'm not swimming for a triathlon." She replied. 

"What are you doing out here then?" 

Adelaide's chest heaved as she breathed heavily. She didn't realize just how tired she was. 

"Helicopter crash." She replied truthfully. 

She looked over her shoulder to gage his expression. "Was it a tour thing?" He asked. She shook her head. 

"What's your name?" She asked to change the subject. 

"Matt." He replied quietly with a look of confusion on his face. "Whats yours?" 

"Adelaide." She smiled at him. "Thanks for the lift." 

He stood and began rowing, having got used to her weight on the board. It was a quiet ride. Her body was aching and she tried her hardest not to cry. He maneuvered them to a calmer looking beach. The waves pushed them safely to shore. 

"You're going to have to jump off here." 

She slumped, sliding back into the water. She swam until she could stand. As soon as she hit dry sand, she collapsed, laying out on the beach trying to relax. Matt stood over her, and she peaked an eye open to look at him. 

He plopped down next to her. "You look like you've been through hell." He commented uncomfortably. 

"I have." She replied quietly, "what part of the island are we on?" 

He looked at her blankly, "North Shore." 

"Ah, okay. Do you have a cell phone? Or this isn't where you started?" 

Her anxiety rose at the idea that she was truly alone. She had no money, no cards, no identification. What the hell am I going to do? 

"No my car is over there." He offered her his arm. "Let me help you up." 

She allowed herself to lean on him for support. As they walked quietly she briefly thought to the helicopter falling from the sky. She thought of the men. She was startled when Matt laughed. 

She looked up at him, and really looked at him for the first time. His skin was tanned in a way that you can only achieve in Hawaii. His hair was long and tied in a knot at his neck. 

He wasn't caucasian from what she could tell. More Hawaiian than anything. His eyes were almond shaped and dark. 

"What so funny?" 

"You're like the little mermaid." 

Adelaide laughed too at the ridiculousness of it. "Yeah just give me red hair and that's me." 

They laughed easily. At the end of the beach there was a highway. He had a small sedan with a mount on top for his board. He opened the door and fished for his phone. 

"Here you go." 

Adelaide realized that she had no idea who she would call. She starred at the screen dumbly. She couldn't call her mother. She couldn't remember Sam's or Natasha's number either. Then she realized she knew exactly who to call. 

Her fingers deftly punched in the number, and she put the phone to her ear. 

A young female voice answered. "Pepper Potts' office, this is Monica. How can I help you?" 

Adelaide paused. She had never met Pepper. But Steve had given her the contact just in case. 

Her voice was shaky at first, "Hi this is Adelaide Collins, may I speak with Miss Potts? Tell her I'm a friend of Steve's." She couldn't bare to say girlfriend at the moment. 

"Yes of course. Hold on." Monica's urgency made Adelaide feel better. The line got quiet for a long moment. Adelaide had been starring at the road next to one of the tires, blankly. 

"Adelaide?" Came a soft voice that she could only assume to be Pepper.

"Hi Miss Potts." 

"Please call me Pepper." 

Adelaide liked her already. She had a soothing voice. 

"I need help." She answered. She began shaking violently, and her voice cracked. 

"Adelaide, where's Steve? He's been missing for three weeks. Are you okay? Are you with him?" 

_Three weeks._

She had been there that long? 

 

"I don't know. They did something to him. I don't know." She sobbed. 

She could hear Pepper calling someone in the background. "Get Tony on the other line." 

"Adelaide, honey, calm down. Where are you?" 

"Honolulu, North Shore." She choked out. 

"Honolulu." She replied incredulously. "How did you get there?"

"Helicopter crash. They were moving me somewhere else, but I got them to crash it in the ocean." She replied finally calming herself. 

"Adelaide, you're going to be okay. We're going to send help. I'm going to connect you to Tony. So just stay calm. He's going to help you." 

"Thank you." Adelaide replied quietly. 

There was another beat, before she heard a man's voice. 

"Adelaide! I was always wondering when I was going to meet Stevie's girl." 

She remained quiet not sure how to respond. 

"So you're in Honolulu?" He cleared his throat before speaking. 

"Yes." She replied quietly. 

"Is there anything you can tell me about where you were or what happened to Steve." 

"I don't know where we were. They kept putting me under. Then they moved but, I can't say for sure where we came from." She replied quietly. "But" she paused. "They did something to him. He wasn't himself. He didn't even know who I was before they moved me." 

"Jesus H. Christ." There was a pause. 

 

"Alright Adelaide, I have some friends in the military. They can keep you safe on base until I get there. It'll take me roughly an hour." 

"Only?" 

"Yeah," he replied indigently, "I'm Iron Man, duh." 

Adelaide shrugged an agreement. "Tell the guy with you, he'll be compensated by Stark Industries for his phone and for helping you."

Adelaide froze, turning to look at Matt. He looked somewhere between passing out, and amazed. She blinked at him, "how did you know I was with someone?" 

"JARVIS tracked the phone you're using. Right now he's overriding the system, so he can be your emotional support." 

She pulled the phone away from her ear to examine it, briefly. "Okay" She muttered. 

"Alright kid see you soon." It was oddly reassuring. 

The line went dead. 

She lowered the phone in shock. She had just had a conversation with Tony Stark. She turned to look at Matt. 

"I'm sorry, but do you think I could get a ride to the military base near here? Uhm, you'll be compensated by Stark industries." It made her uncomfortable, she had never bribed anyone in her life. 

"Are you an Avenger?"

"No." She replied, not yet ready to look him in the eye. 

"Okay, a ride to the base is all good. I don't need compensation." 

"You saved my life. I was afraid I was going to drown, before you came along." 

He smiled at her. Having already loaded his board, he opened the passenger door for her. "Get in." 

 

As they took off down the highway a voice belonging to neither of them, scared Adelaide out of her skin. 

"Operation at full percent. Hello Adelaide." 

She starred down at the phone shocked. "My name is JARVIS, I'll be looking after you until Tony can retrieve you." 

Matt and Adelaide were stunned. The screen had lit up but was only a black with a Stark logo. 

"Uhm, thank you?" Adelaide returned. 

"Matthew Kalili do you know the direction to take, or shall I prompt you?" 

Matt sputtered for a moment. "No I know where I'm going." 

"Excellent." Came JARVIS' posh accent. 

The ride was quiet after that, often Adelaide and Matt peeked at each other both in shock. 

"What the hell?" Matt started slowing down the car, and Adelaide peered over the dash. 

 

"Oh my god."

"What?" Matt asked. 

"Don't stop." Adelaide said in a panic. "Even if she doesn't move don't stop." 

"You want me to hit her?" He shouted. 

"You would be doing me and the world a favor. Keep driving!" She shouted back. 

"I'm not going to kill someone!"

"If she gets to us. She'll probably kill the both of us." 

Suddenly the car bumped along rigidly, the tires popped loudly. They hydroplaned to a stop. 

"JARVIS we need help. We need a weapon of some sort." She looked around desperately. 

"I have a crowbar in the back?" Matt volunteered. 

"Oh good." Adelaide peered over the dash again to see Cynthia slinking slowly towards the car. 

"Get out now." 

They both ran out and Matt opened the trunk. Adelaide picked up the crowbar, turning to look at him. "Run." 

"What?"

"Run, you don't need to get mixed up in this." 

His face looked torn. "I wont blame you." She added. 

She shut the trunk and walked around on the road towards the oncoming woman. 

"JARVIS how far is help away?" 

"Tony is still forty-five minutes out. I've alerted him to your situation. Help from the military base has been alerted and they're sending out a team." 

"How long?" 

"I estimate thirteen minutes." 

"Thirteen minutes, I can do that." Adelaide held the crowbar firmly. "Let him know there's a mercenary here." 

"Already on it." 

She tucked the phone in her sports bra. She had no other pockets as her clothing stuck to her, still wet. 

"Oh please." Cynthia flicked her hair back. The pair were now within six feet of each other. "A crowbar?" 

Adelaide leveled her with a snide look. "Where's your team?" 

"Don't need one, to bring a little girl back to where she belongs." 

Adelaide furrowed her eyebrows. "Trust me, you're going to need one." 

Cynthia smirked, as Adelaide approached. She took the first swing, which the blonde easily blocked. They punched and kicked, and Adelaide used the crowbar to the best of her advantage. 

It took a while for Cynthia to finally land a punch so forceful it knocked Adelaide to the ground. The crowbar slid away. 

Adelaide leaned up with the help of her elbows, wiping the blood away from her lips. As she slowly stood she took the phone that was held in her bra, and slid it to the dirt on the side of the road. 

"Is that the hardest you can hit?" 

Cynthia's eyebrows shot up. 

"You think you're going to win this?" She spoke incredulously. "You." She took a step forward. "Are nothing." 

Adelaide held her ground. Time was what she had. If she could stall long enough for help she would make it out of this. 

"Even your ex thinks you're pathetic." Adelaide swallowed thickly. 

"He's not my ex. He's not himself." 

"Oh I say he's definitely himself. 

Adelaide narrowed her eyes at Cynthia. 

"Because he figured out what it was like to be between the legs of a real woman." 

Cynthia smirked as she watched Adelaide's mouth go slack. 

"You _bitch_." She spat when her senses returned. 

"He was delectable. I ate him all up." 

Adelaide saw nothing but red. She slammed full force knocking Cynthia to her back on the highway. She grabbed a fistful of white blonde hair and slammed her head against the pavement, before punching her hard enough to turn her head to the right. 

"I think that tickled." Cynthia coughed. "My turn." 

Adelaide was immediately flipped on to her back before Cynthia began repeatedly punching her. For a moment Adelaide wondered if she was going to die right here on the pavement. When suddenly Cynthia was knocked off her. 

Matt had swung the crowbar hard enough at her skull to knock her out. She slumped to the ground, and Adelaide scrambled off the hot asphalt. She starred down at her before looking up at Matt. 

"Thanks." 

"Yeah I wasn't going to leave you." 

She smiled at him before quickly ducking to the unconscious woman. She began stripping her of her weapons. She had what looked to be some kind of phone. 

"Here," Adelaide handed him the device. "Use your crowbar to break it." 

Finally with all her extra gadgets stripped Adelaide used some ties, she could only assume were meant for her, to cuff Cynthia's arms behind her. Moving down she repeated the action to her ankles. 

 

She strapped the gun to her thigh, slid on Cynthia's boots (which were a size too big), and tucked away her hunting knife.She looked at Matt and they both shrugged to each other. 

"Holy shit." She murmured. 

"So are you like a spy?" Adelaide laughed. "Not even close dude." She turned to cross the road to collect JARVIS. 

"JARVIS?" 

"Yes I managed to hone in on her signal before you destroyed that phone." 

"Oh I'm sorry!" 

"Not to worry, Adelaide. But I'm afraid you'll be having more company soon. She pressed a distress signal while you were fighting."

"Shit how far are the military personal?" 

"Closing in, seven minutes." 

 

Adelaide paced back to Matt. "We're sitting ducks out here." 

"You're bleeding Adelaide." 

"Yeah," she replied. "I've got road rash too." She answered not fazed. 

"JARVIS what direction is the team coming from North or South?" 

"South, Miss." 

Adelaide looked at Matt. "We should start walking towards them I guess." 

Matt looked worriedly back at his car. Adelaide followed his line of vision. "We'll replace it." She assured. They left behind a wheel-less car and a mercenary hidden in the bushes. 

"You should see the team at the horizon line in approximately twenty seconds." JARVIS sounded. 

"Oh thank god." 

As they walked closer, Adelaide felt this sudden overwhelming feeling of dread. She turned to look behind her and that's when she saw it. A lone man walking a mile behind them. He was holding a large gun and Adelaide knew without a doubt that it was Steve. 

"Run." 

Matt looked down at her. "What?" 

"Run!" She grabbed his hand and sprinted forward. Matt easily kept up with her. They could now see the convoy of military issued cars driving towards them. Adelaide flayed her arms around trying to signal them. When something flew past them. 

The first car in the convoy blew up so violently that it flipped on its roof and the car behind it exploded as well. 

"Oh my god." They both stopped now too close to the flaming car. 

"Okay Matt, this time you need to run." She shoved him in the direction of the overgrown island grasses. "I can't leave you." He returned stubbornly. 

"You don't get it." She replied frustrated, "The woman back there was a joke compared to him. He will kill you. Go!" She pushed him finally off the road. "Run and don't stop!" She shouted. He gave one last glance before running quickly through the grasses. 

Adelaide turned, running past the two flaming cars. She was relieved when men dressed and armed in military gear had lined up. 

A man approached her. "Name?" 

"Adelaide Collins, and JARVIS." She responded. JARVIS sounded off a greeting to the agent. 

"Get in that last car they're going to get you to base." 

He spoke loudly, as the squad marched off to make a barrier against Steve. They had no idea what they were up against. Without much thought, he sent another launcher effectively killing or wounding severely the team. 

Adelaide and the agent were sent flying as the third car exploded. 

 

Everything was too loud, her ears were ringing. The world whooshed and then refocused. She sat up shakily. 

"JARVIS where's Tony?" 

"I just added all power to his boosters, wait ten minutes." 

"JARVIS I might not survive ten minutes." She replied quietly, dropping her head to the dirt. 

Her tears stained the dirt to her face. It was now or never. For as much as she wanted to get away from Steve, she also didn't want for him to get hurt, or worse die. 

She stood shakily, lifting the gun from the holster, clicking off the safety. Old Steve would laugh right now, reminding her she was a terrible shot. Her teeth chattered, she was terrified. 

She walked along the dirt avoiding bodies and staying far from the flaming cars. As she rounded the barrier, she noticed he was still standing quite some distance away. 

She kept her gun lowered, noticing he had abandoned his rocket launcher. 

"Adelaide approaching him is not wise."

"Yeah, but I cant outrun him either." 

She walked closer so she could see every detail she had memorized so well. He was dressed in an all black bodysuit giving him an anonymous look. 

This man was not Captain America. 

This man was not Steve Rogers. 

This man was not her lover. 

 

She spoke so shakily it disappointed her. "You would be ashamed of yourself." 

He didn't reply. 

"Even Bucky had the sense to feel some guilt." She said. 

His eyes flickered to her. And that was where she caught it. Just a _spark._

She shook her head. "What did they do to you Steve?" 

He took a step towards her. "Put the gun down." It was malicious and immediately had her pointing her gun at him. 

"I'm not putting this gun down."

Suddenly, she didn't feel so gentle anymore. She felt the exhaustion of the weeks of suffering and torture. She knew right then as she pointed the gun at a man she loved utterly, that she would never be the same again. 

And that terrified her.


	21. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello anyone or everyone. 
> 
> I had such a hard time with this chapter. I knew how I wanted it to go, but ended up making three different versions of it. SO I decided to go with this improved melding of the three because it leads better to my next chapter. 
> 
> Happy reading. 
> 
> XOXO  
> Sassy

Chapter 21. Nightmare. 

**"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." -Nelson Mandela**

 

"I've been told you've been having violent nightmares." 

Adelaide looked dully at the grey skies over New York. She knew exactly who tattled. 

"Yes." She responded quietly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" The woman across from her spoke gently. The expression in her brown eyes reminded her of her mother's. 

"I'm always drowning." She began quietly, not looking her in the eye any longer.

"What events happen in the dream?" 

Adelaide remained quiet. So the woman pressed. 

"Adelaide, if you open up and talk these issues out, you're more likely to overcome your PTSD." 

_Post traumatic stress disorder._

"I'm in the helicopter, still cuffed to the seat. Except there's water up to my ankles." Adelaide swallowed the thickness in her throat. "I'm holding a baby, and the more water that fills the cabin the higher I lift her." 

"Her?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Just felt like a her." 

There was silence for a moment. "I even try to stand but the handcuff holds me down. I can always feel the salt water in my lungs and I know I cant save the baby." 

"Adelaide, the actions you took to preserve your life is nothing to feel guilt over." The woman leant forward, her grey hair spilled over her shoulders. "You're going to be alright." She reached over and grasped Adelaide's wrist. 

"What I did wasn't right or just." Adelaide spoke so fiercely. "I killed someone." She choked, her emotions taking over. 

"I killed someone." 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Put the gun down." 

Adelaide starred at him, this was it. No one was coming to help, and those that did were no match for him. Steve needed to be reprimanded by someone just as strong or stronger. The average man was no match.

And Adelaide was just an average woman. She was not special. She was not strong. She was not particularly any good trait. Just gentle and kind. 

But that all was changing. 

"I'm not putting this gun down." She replied putting as much malice as she could into her voice. 

They stared at each other. 

He smirked at her before taking a step forward. All Adelaide could do was hold her ground. 

"Don't make me do this." She pleaded. 

"Take the shot." 

Adelaide gulped.

"You can't do it can you?" His smile was almost deranged. "You can't do it because you're weak and useless." 

His words cut, and Adelaide swallowed thickly. 

"Give me the gun, girl." 

Adelaide lowered the gun, clicking the safety. 

Slowly, she handed him the gun. 

Just as he grabbed it, she pulled his arm forward by keeping a tight grip on the gun. He wasn't expecting it, and that millisecond that she took him off guard had her knee ramming straight into his groin. 

He doubled over. Super soldier or not, the groin was still a man's weak spot. She took the hilt of the gun and with as much strength as she could muster she rammed it against his temple. 

He fell over.

She put more space between them, moving north. She knew that was her only chance and she couldn't help but feel like she squandered it. 

He groaned clutching his head. He was up so quickly, Adelaide couldn't believe it. He turned to find her on the other side of the highway. His eyes glinted, some blood trickled down the side of his temple. 

Adelaide was shocked she was able to break his skin. 

He was marching towards her and she realized she had no back up plan. She clicked off the safety. She shot at the asphalt just near his feet to stop him. 

"You're going to waste your rounds doing that." 

"I know how many I've got, and there's still enough to shoot you."

"You're truly pathetic." 

"Maybe." She replied. "But if your words are all you've got to hurt me than you're the pathetic one." 

He was too fast. 

She managed another shot, which he evaded. The second went straight through his shoulder. She was the only one who made any reaction to it. 

She was tackled onto the ground. Her head smacked on the road, and the gun slid far from her reach. 

"I could kill you in a second if I wanted." He growled into her ear.

"Then do it." She whispered, looking him in his eyes. 

His left hand kept her shoulder pressed into the ground and the other wrapped around her neck. 

He hadn't applied any force or pressure just yet. Her small hand wrapped around his wrist and the contact seemed to shake him. He scrunched his eyes closed, suddenly suffering from another headache. 

Adelaide was effectively pinned. She couldn't move or get away from him. His fingers twitched around her neck, when he opened his eyes. 

"Stop looking at me like that." 

"Like how?" She responded. 

He grabbed the scruff of shirt near her shoulders and slammed her back against the ground again painfully. This time she powered her neck to avoid another head collision. 

"I forgive you." She whispered. All she had left were her words.

His eyes starred at her wildly. She leaned back resigning herself to the fact that if he did kill her, he would know that. 

His lips were on hers, and it sent a jolt through her being. Her body instantly remembered him. Her knees which had been on either side of him anyway, relaxed so he could fit intimately close to her. Her limp hands pulled him closer, one losing itself in his shaggy hair. 

Tears pooled down her cheeks and obnoxiously into her ears or into her hair. One his hands that had her shoulders pinned down grabbed a handful of her dark hair. 

It was grimy and curled from the ocean. His grip was painful as it knotted at the middle of her head. 

His lips were so familiar and yet so foreign. He moved too forcefully. Like he was a starving man, and she was the only one who could satisfy his hunger. 

For a moment she pretended that none of this was happening. That they were back in her apartment in D.C and he had agreed to move in with her. Maybe they were kissing because they had finally made enough room in her bookshelf for all of the books he had accumulated. She would teasingly call him a hoarder, and he would grab her and spin her around playfully. 

He tugged her head forcefully away from him. It jolted her out of her daydream. She realized there was a knife against her throat and a fresh wave of tears left her eyes. 

"I didn't need you make me an honest woman" She whispered. He furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Why are you so familiar?" He questioned gruffly. 

"Because they're lying to you." She replied. 

"You're a good man Steve Rogers, they can't take that away from you." 

He scrunched his eyes closed again. The knife clattered to the floor, as he grasped his temples. He was kneeling above her now and she could only stare dumbly at him in return. 

He stood and stumbled away from her. 

It happened simultaneously as she sat up. Steve was literally fired off his feet and sent flying yards away skidding to a stop on his back. 

Tony stark landed just near Adelaide. His suit clanked as he walked forward. 

"Get off the ground Addie." He spoke in a muffled voice. 

She scrambled off her feet, wondering momentarily where he got off calling her by her nickname. 

Steve was already up. His left arm was scraped brutally. 

"Well, look who got all goth'd out. You know Steve if you really wanted more attention or you were over the whole stars and stripes thing. You should've told me." 

Adelaide's mouth gaped open. Tony Stark was something else. 

"I could have made you a different suit." He ended spreading his arms out dramatically. 

"Who the hell are you?" Steve shouted. 

"Geez you weren't kidding." Tony commented to Adelaide. "I've got an idea." Stark muttered to no one in particular. 

He used his thrusters to launch himself at Steve again. This time he was ready for it and braced himself. But Steve was no Thor, and he ended up falling back from the force. 

Iron Man grabbed Steve by the scruff of his shirt and with the help of his suit punched Steve violently against his temple. Steve slumped to the floor. 

Adelaide hadn't realized she had shrieked. She covered her mouth. Stark took a couple of steps back as Steve came around briefly. 

"Stark?" He muttered confused. 

"Oh good it worked." Tony muttered jovially, reaching down to punch him again with just as much force to his skull. 

He allowed Steve to drop to the ground again. He walked away from his limp form, heading back to Adelaide. 

"I've always wanted to hit an old man." He finally looked at her. 

"Jesus." Stark commented. "Hey guys, what's the hold up? We need a med." 

Adelaide realized he was talking to someone else through his suit. Suddenly, the grasses on the highway started blowing around violently. 

The aircraft settled tail end to their side of the road. The hatch opened slowly. 

"Natasha?" Adelaide walked forward slightly. 

Natasha's stopped her advance giving Adelaide a once over. "Jesus, Clint load her up she needs a med." 

Whoever she was referring to, followed her out of the craft towards her. "Geez kid. How are you holding up?" 

Adelaide was shocked.

The kind of shock you get when you face death and evade it so many times in one day. For a moment she really could have lost her life to Steve. And to be surrounded by so many people that dispelled that threat was surreal. 

It was then that she noticed the blood trickling down her left cheek. She swiped at her forehead and realized she was bleeding near her scalp. 

She was coming off the high of adrenaline. And just as quickly, her body began to ache painfully. 

Her wobbly legs failed her and she fell to the ground. The man who approached her was able to stop her head before it hit the ground. He slapped her quickly and repeatedly on her cheeks, just enough to sting. 

"Hey don't go to sleep just yet." 

Adelaide's eyes fluttered. "Nat!" Clint called quickly. 

She rushed over abandoning cuffing an unconscious Steve. 

"Adelaide" Natasha's voice was rough, "Don't sleep, you've lost a lot of blood and I know you're tired but don't sleep." 

The next order of events were blurry for her. She could feel herself being lifted up and carried and focused on the voices when they reminded her to stay awake. Someone held her close for a while and it suddenly got dark and she felt weightless. 

When she refocused, it was bright again. Lots of voices were talking now, but she couldn't focus on too much. Just a lot of hazy shapes, and distinct voices. 

It was quite then, and she wasn't sure if she was asleep or dead.

 

 

Adelaide sat up gasping for air. She heard someone gasp next to her and turned to find the owner of it. 

Natasha, sat up in her chair with a hand over her heart. 

"Congratulations, no one has scared me like that in decades." 

Adelaide looked oddly at her, knowing Natasha wasn't much older than herself. She leaned back against her pillow. "Please tell me we're in D.C and I just imagined an evil Steve." 

When there was no response, she turned to look at Natasha. There was pity in her eyes and Adelaide resented it. 

Natasha stood from her seat. 

"Where are we?" 

"Honolulu still, on the military base here." She looked back at Adelaide. "We couldn't take you to a regular hospital, too many questions we can't answer would be asked." 

Adelaide considered this for a moment. Her belly loaded with butterflies, not the pleasant kind, mind you. 

"What about Steve?" 

Natasha threw her a relieved look. "You want to see him?" She prompted. 

"Is he okay?" Her voice was uneasy. 

"Well knocking him hard on his head was a good idea on Stark's behalf, it took him about a day to remember everything in it's entirety. He said he felt guilty. So I told him the only way you get rid of guilt is to find the source of it. So with the help of JARVIS we found where Dr. Mann was hiding." She smirked at Adelaide. 

 

"You found him?" 

"Yes and his entire motley crew. They've been detained here on base as prisoners of the U.S government." 

Adelaide mulled it over. "I want to see Steve." 

Natasha nodded, "Adelaide, just so you know, this whole situation won't be an easy fix." 

Adelaide starred at Natasha. She had never felt such a strong connection to the woman until that moment. She nodded, her throat too thick with emotion. 

 

Adelaide waited. She examined herself. She could feel the bandage wrapped around her head. She could feel soreness. But in retrospect, she had survived worse physically. 

But mentally. 

She tried to push her nightmare away. It only involved water, drowning, and a sense of loss. She still couldn't shake the feeling. 

The door opened quietly. Steve poked his head in wearily and Adelaide forced herself not to flinch back. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. 

He approached her slowly as if afraid to startle her. 

She knew they had a lot to discuss. 

She feared it and she feared the heartache. 

But right now she just wanted to remind herself that they had did it. She got her Steve back and Mann lost. 

She opened her arms to him and with relief he rushed to hold her. 

There were no words spoken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to preface here. That the next chapter might need a warning of it's own. I'll leave another warning when I post it. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	22. Tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> This following chapter discusses abortion. It's a sensitive subject so just wanted to put this here just in case. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Cynthia Glass is actually inspired from a character with the name from the Captain America(comic books) series. I figured the movies loosely follow the comics so I can too! So very loosely I did:P 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> XOXO 
> 
>  
> 
> Sassy

Chapter 22. Tomorrow.

 

Doctor Mann sat in a small room. It was dark, and there was one table and two chairs. On one wall there was a door and a large dark window. He knew he was being watched from behind it. 

The door swung open and five people spilled into the room. The red haired woman took the seat at the table. 

"Natalia, it's been a long time." 

She was wordless throwing the files onto the table. "I've brought you an audience Mann. You're dying to brag. Start talking." 

"Hail Hydra." 

Natasha reached forward grabbing a handful of his salt and pepper hair, slamming his head down to the metal table painfully. 

"Don't give me that. You've been selling out to SHIELD and Hydra for decades. You work for the Red Room." 

She waited for him to recover. He chuckled, roughly. "I digress, I hate to say but you weren't my greatest achievement Natalia." 

There was silence. She smiled at him. "Gosh I'm flattered." 

"The Winter Soldier was." He was no longer speaking to Natasha but to Steve instead. 

"Hydra was having a hard time controlling his mind. His cells kept regenerating too quickly. So I developed the serum to slow it down. That was decades ago." 

He smiled satisfied with Steve's expression. "It would have worked on you Steven, but you're quite the different creation. Erskine would be proud." 

The room was silent. "I was hoping," he continued. "that I would have perfected that serum better for you and turn you in to the Red Room. Hydra would have been happy to have you." 

More silence. No one bothered to react. 

"Then they bring me the girl. They called it insurance, I called it opportunity. With you Steven the super serum could be duplicated. She could have been the first female success, surpassing the many before her." 

Mann gave a pointed look at Natasha. She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"But then she gave me a gift much greater than any serum could give." 

Adelaide felt her throat go dry. "A carrier of the mutant X gene is rare indeed. So many a time have we tried to gather a source and failed. And there she is." His eyes bore into Adelaide's, "dropped in my laboratory." He chuckled.

"But a carrier is just a carrier. She would need offspring to be truly useful. So what options was I given? A nine month pregnancy plus twelve for the child to hit puberty? No." He shook his head. "No. So the next question is how to pull a dormant genetic code and make it prominent? We tested serums." 

He smiled, "you remember Steven?" 

Steve's only reaction was to grip his own arm harder. 

"But her body rejected serum after serum; and then I thought. Would a mother take on a genetic trait in order to protect her offspring? It was a just a hunch." 

His eyes trailed back to Adelaide. "So we artificially inseminated you with a little help from Steven." 

Adelaide's toes went cold and her throat tightened. "Miss. Glass was only too happy to collect." 

"You sick bastard." Tony spoke this time. Mann only chuckled. 

"It was a success. After conception we allowed a week for the fetus, how do you say, have a chance. Then we tried the serum again." His eyes glinted maliciously, "and it worked. As of your last DNA test the mutation become an alpha part. Cannon to your person." He smiled at Adelaide. "The child was of no use."

_No use._

"So we rid you of the burden." 

Everyone predicted Steve's reaction. It took Tony, Clint, and Natasha to hold him back. No one expected Adelaide's. 

 

Her head buzzed loudly. The world around her slowed. It was only Mann in the room, and she wanted him so badly to suffer the way she was suffering right now. 

One of the table legs, bent of its own accord, loudly. The metal protesting echoed in the room. 

Mann let an excitable laugh escape him mouth. He looked like he was about to say something, but suddenly the words were stuck. His hand flew to his throat, as he coughed violently. 

His face paled considerably, and he seemed to be gasping for air that couldn't be collected. 

Natasha was the first to realize what was happening. Mann fell out of his chair turning a subtle shade of blue. His mouth gasping for nothing. 

The red head slowly approached Adelaide. She seemed to have a passive stance but her eyes held another story. The look she was giving him was pure malice. 

"Adelaide" Natasha spoke quietly. Gently reaching out to grab one of Adelaide's arms. 

It seemed to break the spell and Mann finally took a violent gasp of air. Adelaide rushed forward obviously not done with him. Natasha held her back forcefully. 

"You fucking bastard!" Adelaide screamed. 

Natasha easily dragged her out of the detention room. Adelaide struggled away, and Natasha let her. 

Adelaide's shoulders heaved. She felt bile rise in her throat. Her tears burned. She clutched her head, suffering from a violent headache. 

Natasha pulled her down the hall. She opened a room further down, a bathroom, and Adelaide barely made it. 

She starred at her sick, resentfully, like her body had betrayed her. She pushed herself away leaning against the wall, bringing her head to her knees. 

She could hear Natasha flushing the toilet, the tap running, and the cool towel that was pressed to her forehead. 

She looked up at Natasha, "how can you even care about something you didn't even know you had?" She whispered. 

Natasha slumped against the wall next to her, and uncharacteristically wrapped an arm around Adelaide's shoulders. "Because you're human." 

"Of all the things he did to us." Adelaide murmured. 

"Hey." Natasha said gently. "This guy isn't going to get away with it." 

Adelaide nodded. Natasha took a deep breath. "Did you even realize what you did?" 

Adelaide looked at her. "What do you mean?" 

Natasha rested her head against the wall. "A couple of years back, before all of this." She waved a hand that was rested on her knee. "SHIELD had an incident, that involved a young mutant." 

Adelaide froze. Everyone knew about mutants. The prejudices against them were violent and fully fear driven. 

"This kid nearly leveled an entire high school and surrounding area. We were called in along with a representative from the mutant community. 

"For the kid, it was either extreme detainment or enrollment at Xavier's school." 

"School?" 

"For mutants. We still have the contact." She looked at Adelaide. 

"I almost killed him" She realized. 

"He deserved it. Don't worry about it now. " Natasha clapped Adelaide's knee. "But maybe when we get back we can call in the favor." She smiled at Adelaide. 

There was a knock on the door, and Natasha stood. Her heeled boots clicked on the tile and she opened the door. Steve's forearm was supporting him on the door frame. His eyes held a far off look. 

Natasha walked out quietly. She stopped only to grasp his shoulder in comfort before evacuating the area quickly. 

Steve walked in silently. 

"Doll?" It was so quiet, she wasn't even sure he had spoke it. She looked up. 

"I threw up." It was such a pathetic admission. Steve bent down to scoop her into his arms, holding her tight. 

"I'm sorry." He whispered. She shook her head in response. He walked out of the bathroom and away from Tony, Clint, and Natasha who loitered in the hall. 

Natasha cracked her knuckles, "Clint." 

He was already opening the door for her. "After you." He responded. 

 

He carried her back to her room. She clutched his shirt and refused to lift her head from his shoulder. It was dampened.

"I'm going to lay you down." He spoke quietly. 

"Don't leave." She replied just as quietly. 

The guilt that etched all over her face, broke Steve. 

"He, did that to you." Steve spoke quietly. 

Adelaide starred at the opposite wall. "He killed a baby, to do that to me." She corrected. 

"Our baby." Steve rubbed his face. 

They looked at each other. Adelaide's eyes watered. "That not how-" She couldn't even finish she looked up at the ceiling hoping to fend off more tears. 

_How was anyone supposed to deal with this?_

"This was my fault. None of this should have happened to you." Steve was having a hard time deciding what to do with his hands. He raked one through his still shaggy hair. 

"How could you have even predicted this? This guy came out of no where." She replied incredulously. 

He was silent. 

"Steve, if you're willing to forgive Bucky. Then you're going to have to be able to forgive yourself." She paused. "I do." 

 

He closed his eyes. His hand came to his face, covering it. He pulled it off quickly, starring at her. His eyes were red and watering. 

Adelaide leaned up scooting closer to him. 

"Come 'ere." His voice was rough.

He helped her off the bed and into his lap. He dropped his head into her hair. "I love you." He whispered to her. "He's going to be sorry he ever touched you." 

It was a promise worth keeping. 

Mann wouldn't make it much past the questioning period. 

Both Natasha and Steve knew that leaving him in the hands of the government was too risky. After the events with SHIELD, they both knew an institution would manipulate his knowledge of super soldier serums. Especially with the threat of a world filling up with superior beings. 

Steve Rogers wasn't a mercenary. But he knew with Mann's death the world would suffer a lot less. He was a rat that didn't go down with the ship. 

After tying up a lot of loose ends, including one Cynthia Glass, the group returned to New York. 

Adelaide looked wearily at a city that didn't initially bring a lot of good memories. But Tony Stark insisted it would be safer for them at Stark Tower. Natasha jokingly called it the Avenger Tower, since Tony had never fixed the Stark sign leaving just the "A". 

It took a long phone conversation with her mother to finally convince her that she had gotten a "job" at Stark Industries. She led her mother to believe that she couldn't run the flower shop the rest of her life and was ready to branch out. Which, wasn't entirely untrue. But it was still the first time she ever told her mother such a big lie. 

So, Steve and Adelaide received quite a large suite in Stark tower. Steve turned his nose at the modern furnishing, and Adelaide nearly had her nose pressed to the glass constantly starring at the view. Maybe New York could grow on her, she decided. 

Maybe with time this all would turn routine and not seem so foreign. She could learn to live with the events that faded to her past. She could get over the violent nightmare's that often kept her and Steve awake during the night. 

And maybe, she could eventually get over occasionally breaking glass when she was frustrated or nearly short circuiting JARVIS, much to Tony's disapproval. 

 

"You must become one with the force." Tony spoke waving his hand in front of Adelaide's face, which she slapped away. 

Pepper, Tony, Adelaide, and Steve were congregated in the living area after dinner one night. Steve threw a disapproving look at Stark. 

"Common Adelaide, we're all a bit of a mixed group here." Tony sighed. He plopped down on the couch near pepper. "I'm just saying, maybe you should get your Skywalker on, get a Yoda, and learn to levitate or something. We all learned to control" Tony looked at Steve, rolling his eyes, "our abilities. You should too. Join the team." 

Adelaide twitched her lips to the side. "I wasn't born this way." 

"Neither was Stevie, look more in common for you two!" 

Adelaide rolled her eyes, looking at Pepper for guidance. She smiled gently, "we have the number Adelaide we can call when you're ready." 

"I just don't want to leave" she replied. "I just got used to it here." 

Pepper smiled, "but maybe something proactive will help you with your PTSD. Don't let what happened to you stay negative. Turn it into a positive." 

"Are you coaching my therapist?" 

Tony and Pepper laughed, while Steve stayed quiet. Adelaide looked at him, uncertainly. His opinion mattered most to her. "Maybe we can set it up so you don't have to be gone for long increments of time?" Steve spoke quietly looking at Pepper, who nodded enthusiastically. 

"Exactly" Pepper spoke, "we can arrange something. We just have to make the call." 

Adelaide wrung her hands. "Okay. Tomorrow?" 

"Of course, it's too late now." Pepper agreed. 

The future always held promise for a better life. So tomorrow was indeed a better option. Tomorrow they would call Charles Xavier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im a little on the fence here! So reviews would be appreciated lol so I know if it was okay?
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reviewed again! It means so much and helps so much!
> 
> XOXO


	23. Order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> I can't believe I hit 50 kudos, actually I'm shocked I even got one with such a slow build. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read this story :) I am having fun writing it but I feel like it'll wrap up soon. 
> 
> Please comment with opinions, they mean a lot! 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> XOXO  
> Sassy

Chapter 23. Order.

 

Natasha had told Adelaide that this whole mess wasn't an easy fix. And as much as Adelaide wanted it to be. It wasn't. 

She sat on the familiar dark couch, avoiding making eye contact with Susan, her therapist. 

"And how about your sex life?" 

Adelaide nearly choked on her own air. She looked at the Doctor incredulously. "Often those who suffer from PTSD, suffer from avoiding events that link back to the trauma." 

Adelaide thought back to her trip to Ellis Island. Initially she hadn't thought much about taking a ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty. Steve had insisted on going with her, even when Tony teased him repeatedly. Stark had "The Star Spangled Banner" on full blast through the living quarters and elevator the day of the trip. 

But as she got closer to the coast she realized a feeling of uneasiness overwhelm her. As they walked toward the ferry Adelaide's grip on Steve's arm increased to where he was beginning to lose feeling in his right forearm. 

But when they boarded the ferry, all hell broke loose in Adelaide's mind. She thought of how many ways she would have to jump over the boat into the icy water below in an emergency. _How cold was it? How long could she survive in it?_

She resigned herself to tucking into Steve's coat, using a deep breathing technique she had learned in therapy. Steve could only tuck his himself into her as well, murmuring reassurances into her ear. 

 

All and all she thought it was a stupid idea to visit Ellis Island and avoided the coast entirely. She knew that it would take some time to enjoy the ocean again. Which was a shame since she used to love the coast so much. 

She thought back to what Susan had asked her. _How was her sex life_? In one word, nonexistent. 

It had been a month since the incident and although she slept in the same bed with Steve and they acted all the loving couple outside of the bedroom. She couldn't bring herself to actually engage him. 

To go from a previous lifestyle of enjoying it nearly everyday to a complete dry spell must have been hard on Steve. But he never mentioned a thing. 

"The woman collected the sperm to inseminate you?"

Adelaide took a deep breath, it was a fact that she was hoping to forget. 

Susan knew the entire situation, it was necessary to know all the factors to help Adelaide. Even a therapist had a hard time wrapping her head around it.

Cynthia Glass had been exaggerating when she had taunted Adelaide on the Hawaiian road. Steve and Cynthia hadn't had sex.

Adelaide's head hit the back of the couch remembering Steve's admission. Cynthia was obviously getting him off to collect the reward for Mann. But the thought of another woman touching him, even if he himself was a victim in the situation, bothered her. 

"No sex." She spoke quietly. "not since before the incident." 

But it wasn't just the memory of Cynthia sullying Steve that was completely to blame. 

Sex meant running the risk of pregnancy. Adelaide received a birth control shot during her first doctor's appointment in New York. But even with that security she couldn't bring herself to want to have anything to do with it. 

"Low libido is just a side effect, Adelaide." Susan was poking at Adelaide's defenses. There was a bigger problem to this issue and they both knew it. 

"It's not that." She murmured knowing full well what it was. 

"Then it's? Susan prompted.

"I'm scared to get pregnant." Adelaide whispered. 

Her therapist leant back in her seat. There it was. The admission out in the open. 

"A child is something you want when you're married." Adelaide muttered. 

Her body had known before her conscious mind had. Her nightmare hadn't changed since the fist night she had it. 

She had spent too much time wrestling with the idea that she shouldn't want for the child she held during her nightmares. Every night she had to deal with the fact that she could not save it from drowning. 

Of all the problems that had happened to her, that is what bothered her most.  
She did not want to be pregnant. She did not want a child. But she also mourned the fact that the baby was created and killed for nothing other than a crazed man's wishes. 

It was a heady mix of guilt, anger, and despair. 

"Adelaide," Susan leant forward to get eye level with her patient's down cast stare. "You're young barely scratching the surface of your mid twenties. You have taken the necessary precautions to prevent pregnancy. If you're so scared of conception then ask Steve to wear a condom. But I think that when you decide to have sex with him, you will feel much better with a fear conquered." 

Adelaide's face flushed. She wasn't used to discussing her sex life so blatantly. 

 

As she walked into the waiting room she was surprised to see Steve sitting awkwardly next to a couple in a heated discussion. He looked relieved to see her emerge from the therapy room. 

"I thought you were traveling with Sam?" Adelaide asked when Steve took her hand. The pair walked briskly out of the office. 

"I was but it was another check out." Steve replied quietly. He pushed the button for the elevator when they made it down the hall. 

Adelaide looked up at him sorrowfully. "Something won't check out one day Steve." She squeezed his hand. "Maybe you should talk to Tony about it? Maybe he can help?" 

Steve shook his head. The elevator beeped and the doors rolled open. Thankfully, it was empty. 

"He's already looking into it but," He paused looking for the right words. "It's like he disappeared. "

Adelaide looked down. "Maybe, you should approach it a different way." She responded quietly. 

He looked down at her, his eyes prompted. 

"A man who wants to disappear and has had decades of training as a mercenary, could probably make it easy on himself. Maybe you should attack it more as he would, in his state of mind?" 

Steve smiled at Adelaide, amused. 

"I don't know." She protested, "I'm not." She waved her hand in his general direction. 

He laughed, "it's a good idea." He affirmed, kissing her cheek. 

She flushed suddenly remembering Susan's advice. She took a deep breath attempting to relax herself. Steve had an alarmingly acute sense of smell and hearing. In confined spaces, it was too easy for him to catch her fluttering heartbeat. 

He looked down at her, and Adelaide could almost kick herself. "Is it the elevator? We're almost at ground level." He assured, but she shook her head. 

"It's not that." She murmured. The elevator bing'd and they walked out, through the lobby, and out into the streets of Manhattan. 

"Are you hungry?" He asked, smiling back down at her. It was March, in New York and although the weather was still bitterly cold, there was a pleasant sunshine that illuminated off the skyscrapers. 

She shook her head "no". She was never hungry after these sessions. But in all honesty food disinterested her lately. 

It bothered Steve. 

It was hard to watch a woman he loved to introvert to herself so much. He often had to beg her to eat at least one decent meal during the day. It had taken a toll on her body. Between the bad sleeping schedule and lack of nutrition intake, she had lost weight. And for someone as petite as she it was a noticeable change. 

"Did you have breakfast?" He asked. 

"Toast." 

"That's not breakfast." He protested, quietly. 

She sighed as he pulled her to a diner near Stark Tower. She wondered if they had a decent soup. Which was her go-to meal now. 

The waitress was overly friendly and quickly took their drink order. Adelaide settled for a sprite hoping the bubbles would help her wobbly stomach, and Steve ordered coffee. 

They both read the menus to themselves quietly. Under the table he extended his legs to touch hers. She smiled at him over the menu, happy for the contact. 

"What are you getting?" She asked and when he replied steak sandwich, she crinkled her nose. 

"The amount of food you eat in a day scares me." She teased. 

"The amount of food you don't eat in a day scares me." He returned quietly, she knew he was serious. He was communicating his fear. 

"It's New York, Steve." she replied hoping to get off the subject. "Haven't you seen the models? I fit right in." She replied loftily. 

His stern look didn't waver a bit. If anything, it grew more serious. Adelaide sighed, when the waitress approached. 

"Are you guys ready to order?" 

Adelaide bit her tongue for a second before beating Steve to a polite reply. "Yes," the waitress finally peeled her eyes off Steve to look at her. "I'll have a grilled cheese with french fries." She smiled. There fat and starch, let him be pacified. 

Steve's eyebrows shot up, "how about grilled ham and cheese?" He suggested to Adelaide. "Fine." She nodded to the waitress who scribbled her order down before taking his. 

She tried not to think about how she'd actually consume the meal. 

He smiled at her. Sometimes that was all Adelaide needed, a challenge. 

They made small talk while they waited for their meals. When the food finally came she starred at it, attempting to psych herself into eating it. 

"Just try to finish half of it." He suggested. She held her breath when she took the first bite of the sandwich. 

After successfully having her stomach not reject it, she took two more bites. Suddenly, actually eating didn't seem so hard. She was able to finish the entire sandwich before Steve even managed his second half. 

She knew he was keeping a neutral expression purposefully. But the leg that rubbed against her's affectionately, led her to believe he was proud of her. 

 

A week had gone by and Adelaide's appetite returned. She was finally game to eat her way through New York's variety of cuisine, without incident. Her happiness during the day had returned, and she was less irritable. 

Even Tony noticed when they had ordered Thai for the quickly populating Tower residents. Adelaide had nearly ate an entire box of phad Thai on her own when she noticed his starring. She protested immediately. "What? I'm trying to gain five pounds." 

Pepper smiled at her, "sounds like a good gig." 

"It is fun. No guilt." She responded. 

Steve who had been talking to Bruce Banner, turned to her dropping a kiss on her forehead, before returning to his conversation as if nothing had happened. Tony looked scandalized. 

"Creepy old man." He commented. Steve threw a dirty look at Tony. Bruce and Adelaide looked amused. 

"So, Adelaide" Bruce began catching her attention, and dispelling another quarrel between Steve and Tony, effectively. 

"You'll be leaving soon for mutant training?" He seemed a little unsure of what to call it at the end. Adelaide nodded. The turn of the conversation had caught everyone's attention and the room fell silent. 

"It's a school, but since I'm way older than most of the students and have my bachelors degree, it's more like a mentorship." She responded. 

"Where is this place anyway?" Bruce asked. 

"Oh not far, within New York State. Westchester county." 

"But you'll be staying there?" He prompted. 

"Only for a couple weeks at a time." 

"So what is it exactly that you can do?" He asked. Banner had only arrived a week ago and hadn't been subjected to JARVIS short circuiting or glasses breaking. 

"Break things." Tony commented; Pepper elbowed him near his gut. 

"I guess that's why I'm going in the first place; to figure it out." Adelaide smiled at Banner, ignoring Tony. He was only sore because JARVIS couldn't google a restaurant menu quick enough the day it happened. 

 

The group dispatched later in the evening and Adelaide was glad to finally shower her day away. As she soaped up, she thought back to what Susan had said. 

While her appetite for food had returned; Adelaide still hadn't tackled the glaring problem. She thought for a moment of how her therapist insisted she'd feel better after the fact. 

 

She starred at herself critically in the mirror, holding her towel around her body. 

The glow had returned to her cheeks and they didn't seem so hallow anymore. Her body was slowly becoming softer rather than too bony. Adelaide was always shapely and never had a boyish figure. This was the skinniest she had probably ever been and it bothered her. 

She toweled off and wrapped herself in her favorite silk robe. It was a light color and Adelaide was convinced it was made of rainbows and unicorn tears due to its soft texture. She steeled her resolve, throwing confidence in her expression as she strode out of the steaming room. 

Steve wasn't in the bedroom much to her disappointment. So she wandered out of the master bedroom into the living room. Steve was drinking water standing in front of the bar area. 

When he noticed her, he placed the emptied cup in the sink and shut the lights off to that part of the room. He smiled approaching her. 

"Ready for bed?" 

Steve didn't sleep more than four hours on any given night. But he always laid with her while she fell asleep each night. 

Adelaide held her breath as he came closer to her. She walked the rest of the distance into his arms. They snaked around the small of her back, lacing there. Her palms slid up to his shoulders and she peeked at him through her lashes. 

She could see even in the dim lighting, that his pupils had dilated, made obvious by the shrinking starry blue giving way to black. She bit her bottom lip unsure of how to communicate what she wanted to him. But he seemed to read her body language just perfectly. 

He dipped low to kiss her lips gently. It sent tingling pleasure down her spine and as they continued her hands tangled in his now cropped hair. She massaged the area, feverishly kissing him. 

But his hands remained chaste holding on to her hips and she knew he was unsure. She leaned back looking at him. 

"I want you." She whispered. 

Steve could only nod pathetically, as the two melded together again. Adelaide tugged his crisp tee urgently up his torso. It was like a fire was set under her. They paused long enough for him to rip the shirt over his arms and head. Adelaide stepped back, tugging at the useless sash that kept her robe modest. The silk slinked to the ground revealing her bare body to him. 

Steve licked his lips unconsciously. He felt like it was his first time again. Never getting enough of her skin and too eager to rush in their joining. When his pants were discarded he laid her on the soft area rug. 

His kisses were everywhere. They ignited Adelaide anywhere they brushed. When he slipped lower Adelaide's arms tugged at him. He froze looking at her with bated breath. 

"I don't need that." Her breathing was labored. "I need you in me. Now." She pulled again and he obliged hovering over her. He guided himself to her entrance. The heat was so inviting and he could feel her lubrication.

He plunged into her quickly, and she gasped loudly. He squeezed his eyes closed burying his head into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. "So tight." He groaned, panting. 

Impatient with his lack of movement she wiggled her hips against his. He smirked at her, his eyes held mischief. He snapped his hips so quickly against her, it quivered her insides. He stayed still again and she clawed at his back. "Steve please." She gasped. 

He kissed her heatedly, before snapping his hips again. The friction between them escalated quickly. He knew they wouldn't last long as she began gasping and holding him close. He slipped his hand between them to rub her clit with his thumb. 

She came, curling her toes and legs around his waist. It offset his own ending, "Oh my god." He panted. It was simple, vanilla, pleasurable sex, but he had never cum so hard in his life, it almost hurt. 

She had stretched out underneath him. His weight felt so good on top of her. He smiled at her and she reached up to kiss his forehead and then his lips. 

"More." 

She murmured and he laughed in response. He was already hard between them at the demand. 

"Is that an order?" 

"No just a strong suggestion." She responded and he chuckled nuzzling her nose. With that action, suddenly everything in Adelaide's life felt stable. He kissed her again. 

"Anything for you." With that he hoisted her up in his arms. "How about the bed we've never broken in?" 

Adelaide smiled at Steve. She wondered if he could sense what a relief this experience had been for her. And after they had "thoroughly" broke in their bed, in Steve's words, they both slept tangled in each other. 

It was the first night Adelaide didn't sleep with a nightmare.


	24. Unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many avenues of potential with my story, I just started to recognize it in my own mind as an alternate universe. 
> 
> It was always in my intention to have Mann as the main villain but some of my story decisions ended up happening organically as I wrote. 
> 
> And common it's fan fiction! No holds bars people! 
> 
> So I'm bringing back a character in this chapter, that always was going to be a problem separating Steve and Adelaide. 
> 
> So the question is can they overcome? 
> 
> I know; you'll find out! 
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos! I hope you enjoy! Protests, encouragements, questions, concerns, or anything really is always appreciated! 
> 
> SO thank you thank you thank you! 
> 
> (Also as a side note: Chapter One underwent a mini revision. I changed a few things in respect for perspective? Nothing crazy so no need to reread.) 
> 
>  
> 
> **Enjoy.**
> 
>  
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Sassy.

**Chapter 24. Unexpected.**

Steve's chest rose and fell slowly. His eyes fluttered behind his lids rapidly. A faint smile caressed his face, and his lips parted, murmurring incoherencies. 

Catching Steve in a deep sleep was rare for Adelaide. She watched transfixed by how at ease and relaxed he was. It seemed pleasant. 

He shifted slightly and Adelaide froze hoping he wouldn't wake. She smiled to herself. He was too adorable at times.

Sighing, she slowly slipped out of the bed. At five in the morning it was a surprise to beat Steve in rising. She grabbed some clothes out of her side of the dresser and left the master bedroom. 

Changing in the living room, she folded her pajama pants and shirt in a neat pile on the couch. Making a mental note to put it away later. 

She walked out of their suite and down the hall to the elevator. When the doors opened and she stepped in, it wasn't surprising to hear JARVIS chime in. 

"Where are you going Adelaide?"

She remained silent pressing the ground button. 

"You know you shouldn't wander out of the tower without a chaperone or alerting anyone to your intentions during an hour like this." 

"Okay mother hen, I am letting someone know."

"And that would be?"

"You." 

"That's not quite what I meant." 

"Just tell Steve, when he wakes up, that I went to Central Park for a morning run." 

She stepped out of the elevator and walked through the lobby into the deserted streets of Manhattan. The morning was crisp and she zipped up her wind breaker. 

Central Park was within walking distance of Stark Tower. Entering the massive park, it was relieving to see many other runners on the path. 

She ran for about twenty minutes mulling over the problems that woke her so early. Tomorrow she was leaving for two weeks to be assessed by Charles Xavier. 

She was nervous to say the least. 

Stark and Banner had run their own tests on Adelaide's biology multiple times. The effect of the serum that brought forth her X-gene seemed permanent. It was easily assumed that she had some kind of telekinetic power, but the extent and specifics of it were a mystery. 

Xavier would know better and be able to help her learn to control her new "breaking things" habit. 

Part of her wished she could make it go away. 

Part of her was excited to see just how far she could take it. 

She ran until she came to a children's play area. She eyed it, before looking around. Having taken an alternative route, not many people were around. 

Abandoned playgrounds were often unsettling to most people. 

But Adelaide saw the beauty of it. It was the calm before the storm. Later it would be consumed by laughing children swinging, sliding, and climbing. But right now it was pristine in it's emptiness. 

She approached the empty swing set. Turning around she faced the path wanting to play it cool to someone's judgement if they happened upon her. 

She pumped her legs back and forth in a steady rhythm. Soon she gained momentum and she giggled to herself when the swing came down only to raise up high again. 

Pushing the momentum as far as it could go, Adelaide laughed as the tension between the chains started to give. She was swinging too high and when she hit the top it wiggled in protested. 

For a moment she had forgotten where she was, it was only her and the swing trying to see how high they could go. 

 

As she stilled her legs, the swing began to slow its pace. She had a distant look in her eye that came into sharp focus when she realized someone was watching her. 

She was barely teetering by this point as she studied the man in the distance. He wore a dark hoodie and what looked to be running pants and sneakers. His hat was pulled low on his face. 

It wasn't out of the ordinary at all. Many men wore this same outfit on the path. 

As she slowed to a stop, placing her feet on the floor it finally pieced together why she was so disturbed by him. His eyes, they were boring straight through her and she recognized that feeling before. 

She stood quickly. In a blink of an eye he was gone and she wasn't even sure he was standing there in the first place. 

Running from the playground to where she was sure he stood her mind jumbled around on how to find him. She looked around and spotted him in the distance. 

_He moved so fast._

She ran down the path quickly going right at the fork in the road. It went down another deserted trail that lead to a famous underpass for a bridge. 

He was walking away from her back turned. His shoulders were broad and he gave off an aura of physical competence. 

"Hey!" She called. 

Only when he stood at the mouth of the underpass did he finally turn around to acknowledge her. She was only a few feet from him and had a perfect view of his entire face. 

_Bucky_

After all this time. The months Steve spent checking out leads, testing out strings to pull on. He was here, right in front of her. 

She was at a loss of what to do. What could she say?

She had no physical means of making him stay or hear her out. Her words were the only thing that she had as a weapon. If she didn't choose right she would fumble this meeting. 

_But what was the right thing to say?_

He was silently starring at her, his gaze too intense. 

"Thank you." She called out from her spot. 

The only indication he gave, were his eyebrows twitching slightly. 

"For what?" He rasped. His eyes were too intense again. 

Adelaide took a tentative step forward. 

"For what happened at Triskelion.He would have really hurt me if you didn't make him stop." 

By the recognition in his eyes she could tell he knew exactly what she was talking about. She made the mistake of taking another step forward too eagerly. He backpedaled putting more space between them. 

"Please." It was almost a whisper. She reached her right hand towards him, rooted in her spot. 

"I can help you. I can take you to someone who will help you." The desperateness in her voice was evident. She could only think of disappointing Steve. 

The Winter Soldier starred at the hand she was offering. He knew this small girl held no threat to him. He could snap her neck within a few movements and that would be the end of her life. 

But then he couldn't underestimate her either. 

"I don't need help." 

"Then why were you watching me? That couldn't have been a coincidence." She insisted, her hand stretched out further, her feet stayed rooted. 

He didn't respond, he only starred. 

"Please." She repeated again. 

Suddenly his eyes starred at something behind her, as an instinctual move she turned to look back at whatever he saw. It was an empty pathway. She whipped her head around and he already had her back on her, walking away. 

"Please don't go." Adelaide shouted. He turned around quickly. 

"Tell him to stop looking for me." Adelaide froze. _He knew._

"He just wants to help." She replied softly. 

"I don't need help." 

"Everyone needs help." She responded just as quickly. 

His eyes bore into hers again. She took another tentative step forward. When he didn't move, she took another and another. She was in reaching distance of him. She was giving a man, whom she had no experience with, her trust. He could kill her easily at any second. 

Tentatively, she moved her hand to his arm, slowly, so he could watch her movements. She felt the metal under the jacket. She whispered beseechingly again. 

The next chain of events happened so quickly. 

He grabbed her, pulling her under the cover of the bridge slamming her up against the cobble stone walls. The air was knocked out of her painfully. 

"Because I saved you once girl, does not mean you are safe from me either." He rasped. His eyes were feral, teetering on the verge of man and monster. His human hand wrapped around her throat pressing her into the shadows, brawny form pressed uncomfortably against her. 

"You tell him," his words were malicious now. "To stop looking for me. If he doesn't stop, he'll have to start looking for you. And the only clue he'll find is when I leave your mangled unrecognizable corpse at his front door and then he'll have something to truly mourn about." 

Each word came out as a harsh whisper. She did not doubt his threat, only imagining that he could and would carry them out. 

He squeezed her throat painfully effectively stopping air into her lungs. She clawed at the hand that held her by the throat. Her right hand reached out to push violently at his head, attempting to push his body away with force, to no avail. 

Her hand slipped down. The lack of oxygen made her dizzy. Her hand fell to his cheek still pushing his face away from her. Her fingertips barely grazed his temple and instantaneously her vision went red. 

All she could see was red. It made her panic. His metal hand grasped her right hand pinning it above her head. Immediately her vision cleared, he had eased a bit at her throat and she took a deep breath painfully. 

She could only look him in the eye unwaveringly. 

His head snapped to the right and her gaze followed. Steve was frozen, a football field distance away, down the path. She knew he could see from that distance. She knew, he knew, exactly who had her pinned to the wall. 

The soldier turned to look at her. "Remember what I said." He leaned against her, his breath hot in her ear. He muttered something indecipherable to her in another language, before pushing her further against the wall then dropping her. 

Adelaide saw dark spots as she fell to the floor gasping in air loudly. He was gone and a second later Steve stopped looking down at her worriedly. She waved her arm in a "keep going" fashion as she caught her breath. "Go" she rasped. 

"Stay here." He called, not needing any more encouragement, already moving at inhuman speed after him. 

 

Minutes seemed to pass like hours. She rubbed at her throat, taking deep breaths tentatively. She knew there was no point in following after Steve. He was probably on the other side of the Manhattan by now. 

Adelaide's hand slipped into her pocket to retrieve her Stark phone. She pressed an app launching it on the touch screen. 

"Adelaide?" JARVIS' voice sounded from the small device. 

"JARVIS you're probably going to need to wake the whole house up." Adelaide muttered. 

 

Adelaide waited as she was told, under the bridge. Natasha was first on the scene, jogging up to her in civilian clothes. 

"How long ago was the incident?" 

The younger woman looked at her phone. It was now six thirty in the morning. 

"Roughly twenty to thirty minutes ago." 

"They can be anywhere." Natasha sighed.

She pressed a hand to her ear. "Did you get that Stark?" 

Adelaide could only hear a muffled response. 

"Stark and Wilson will find him faster in the sky. Banner is in the lab opening communications through New York City." Natasha reported beginning to walk away. Adelaide followed close behind. 

"What happened?" 

Adelaide kept silent.

 

She kept silent the entire trip back to Stark Tower. In fact, she remained quiet the rest of the day next to Banner in the lab. Not a peep was heard from her. 

Not until there was a loud commotion upstairs. 

"They're back." Banner announced. The pair left the lab, catching the elevator to the living quarters. 

 

Sam, Barton, Natasha, Stark, and Steve were huddled together in the center of the living room. 

"So guys, what's the verdict?" Banner called. 

All eyes landed on Bruce and Adelaide. 

Natasha was first to answer. "What did he say to you Adelaide?" 

She deflated, knowing that Natasha had reported she withheld what he had said. 

Every eye in the room looked clinical as they waited for Adelaide to speak. She tugged her turtle neck up subconsciously. "Said to stop trying to find him." She responded quietly. 

Eyes moved to look at Steve. He kept his expression neutral. "What else did he say?" Steve looked Adelaide dead in the eye knowing she was editing. 

_That he would leave my mangled unrecognizable corpse at your doorstep._ She thought.  
But she locked up that in a file of things never to mention. 

"He said something in a different language." Adelaide confessed. 

"And" Steve prompted. 

Adelaide pleaded with her eyes; only to be returned with stern resolve. 

"He said if you don't stop looking for him, you're going to start having to look for me." She muttered. 

Everyone visibly stiffened. 

"She's the weakest link" Barton commented.

"Or so he thinks" Banner replied. 

"We'll have to keep looking for him through the rest of the night, the longer he gets, the easier he can slip through the cracks." Sam commented. 

"I'll take Adelaide tomorrow, she has to be out of the city anyway." Natasha volunteered. 

"No, I'll take her." Steve replied. 

"What happens if we find him and you're gone?" Sam replied. 

"Better if I take her." Natasha repeated. 

Banner looked at Adelaide, "I'll take her." All eyes fell on Banner. Steve spoke first. 

"Dr. Banner it's nothing personal but." 

"I know, Steve, he's got the control. But I can deal with a little traffic and she'll be safe with me." 

Everyone looked around wearily. 

"I trust you Bruce." Adelaide spoke quietly. 

Natasha rolled her eyes. "It's not a matter of trust. You've got a magnetism for getting yourself into bad situations Adelaide." 

Adelaide glared and Natasha. She leveled her own right back. 

"You shouldn't have engaged him, Addie." 

Steve looked at Adelaide walking right up to her. He tugged her turtle neck down to examine the purple finger marks around her neck. 

"He could have killed you." He whispered. Emotion suddenly slipped into his eyes before disappearing behind his own facade. 

"It would be pointless to kill a messenger before they deliver their message." Adelaide replied hotly. Steve's disapproving look quieted her from continuing petulantly. 

"So" Banner interrupted, extending the "o" sound. "Looks like you should get some sleep Adelaide we've got a mini road trip tomorrow morning." 

Adelaide sighed before turning away from Steve to follow Banner to the lower level suites. 

Steve didn't follow.


	25. Road Trip.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone reading this! 
> 
> Kudos and reviews are appreciated very very very much! 
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Sassy

Chapter 25. Road Trip. 

 

Adelaide stuck her arm out of the open window. 

It was quieter outside of New York City and too warm in the Audi Q7 they drove in. She had a knot in her stomach. She thought back to earlier this morning. 

 

She lay in bed wrapped under a mountain of blankets to stop her quivering. She hadn't slept well, if at all. She couldn't remember falling asleep, only the analog clock that ticked off the hour. 

Sometimes it passed as she closed her eyes and sometimes it dragged on to pass a minute. 

Steve didn't come back to the room until five thirty. She knew he could hear her rapid heart beat that was much too quick for sleep. 

"Did you sleep at all?" He whispered. 

"No" She muttered. 

She heard a sigh and the bed dipped. A moment later the plunking of shoes could be heard. The bed gave way as he crawled over to the corner she occupied. 

He tugged at the blankets she covered herself with, finding her tiny body at the bottom. He curled into her, wrapping her in his warmth. 

They were silent for a long time. The five had turned to a six. 

She felt his fingers gently touch her neck. He peppered kissed along the column. She slowly turned to face him and before she could utter a word, he mirrored the same action to the other side. 

Even in the dim lighting of the room she could see the guilt in his eyes. 

"I'm sorry." Adelaide whispered. 

"There's nothing to be sorry for Addie." 

Adelaide thought of the encroaching hour when she would leave New York. She buried her head into his chest. 

"I'll miss you" She whispered. 

Steve kissed the top of her head. "You'll be safer there, doll." 

 

At eight in the morning Stark was handing the keys to Banner with a "don't smash my car" as a warning. 

Adelaide tugged at her braid nervously. This was the absolute worse way to leave that she could imagine. Steve hovered near her never taking his hand off the small of her back for too long. 

He leaned forward to shake hands with Bruce. "Keep her safe." He pleaded. Banner nodded, "She's safe with me Cap."

Steve nodded looking down at Adelaide. Her tugging on her braid increased and she took a deep breath. Be strong, she reminded herself. 

She looked up at him, trying to give him a reassuring smile. It was almost convincing. 

He bent down suddenly, sweeping her into a deep kiss. 

Steve was not one for obscene amounts of public displays of affection. He held her hand and would kiss chastely. But never on the lips and never for too long. He reserved that for private, as something meant for just the two of them. Right now was an exception. 

Bruce averted his eyes, suddenly fumbling with the key. Tony made a gagging noise. 

They parted, and Adelaide had to blink her eyes rapidly to clear the tears. He tipped his forehead down to tap with hers. "Be safe. I love you" he whispered. 

Adelaide nodded, repeating the sentiment. 

"Okay let's get this show on the road." Tony interrupted thoroughly over their dramatic goodbyes. "Cap we've got the Abominable Snowman to find. Banner you've got kiddie carpool. Let's go!" He twirled his fingers in a circular motion for flare. 

Adelaide reached up to kiss Steve chastely one last time before turning to walk around the car. Bruce slipped easily into the driver's seat, sliding the key into place, hitting the start button. 

The engine roared to life. With the sounds of both doors closing, Jarvis opened the street exit to let the car drive out. 

Steve waved them away as they pulled into early morning traffic. The falcon flew overhead to chaperone the car safely out of the New York City limit. 

 

 

In the distance she could see a large gated estate. Bruce whistled lowly. "Not a bad place for mutants to congregate." 

In an odd way Bruce Banner felt empathy for the mutant community. He knew what it was like to be shunned by society for having such an explosive power. Even if he had been the one to do it to himself, and not actually born with his power. 

They pulled up to the gate, and the car slowed to a stop. There was a call button and Bruce lowered the window. 

"Wait, what do I say?" He looked back at Adelaide. She starred at him with eyes as wide as a deer in the headlights. 

The box crackled. Both heads whipped to look at it. 

"Adelaide Collins?" A disembodied voice questioned. 

"Yes." Adelaide squeaked, before clearing her throat to repeat the answer more clearly. The gates opened. 

Bruce pulled the car slowly up the drive, looking around wearily. 

"That was creepier than the idea that JARVIS is always listening." Adelaide commented. 

Bruce threw her an amused smile. 

They parked the Q7 in the roundabout, just in front of the door. Adelaide got out, tugging her coat tighter around her. She looked in awe at how vast the estate was. 

The pair made their way to the front door, both looking wearily at each other. Bruce seemed to lose whatever arrangement they had and knocked loudly on the door. 

It opened with a gust and a tall woman stood on the other end. Her shocking white hair and perfect cinnamon skin made her presence all the more intimidating. 

"Greetings."

After a moment to get over the shock, Adelaide was quick to answer. 

"Hi, I'm Adelaide and this is my friend, Dr. Bruce Banner." Adelaide faltered at "friend" not too sure what else to call him. 

Bruce, who had his hands stuffed in his pockets only managed a, "hi" in return. 

"My name is Ororo, but here I am called Storm."

"Storm?" 

Adelaide's face blushed embarrassed at Bruce's reply. The woman didn't seemed fazed at all. 

"We choose names connected to our powers." 

"Oh." 

"If you would follow me, this way." Her amused smile didn't falter the slightest from Banner's sheepish reply. 

She lead them up a staircase and down a vast hallway. Often she could hear the bustling of people talking, and the ruckus of classrooms in session. 

There was not a peep from either Bruce nor Adelaide. Both too busy absorbing as much of their environment as possible. 

They arrived at a large mahogany door. Storm opened it, leading them in. She smiled reassuringly before leaving and closing the door behind her. 

Adelaide wasn't sure what she was expecting Charles Xavier to look like. But if she had any expectation he had surpassed it. 

"You must be Adelaide." His voice was pleasant and instantly comforting. She could only nod in response. 

"Don't be nervous, there is nothing here that will harm you." 

His blue eyes twinkled, and his smile was warm. It made her instantly relax. 

"This is Dr. Bruce Banner." Adelaide gestured. 

"Ah, yes Dr. Banner." 

"You've heard about me." The way Bruce said the sentence, was more of a weary statement. He knew his reputation preceded him. He was just never sure when it would. 

"There are no judgements passed here, Bruce." He smiled at him, leaning his elbows on the desk. "Please," he gestured to the two club chairs, "have a seat." 

Bruce and Adelaide made eye contact before moving to sit in their respective chairs. 

"You have questions." Xavier commented looking Adelaide directly in the eye. 

"I don't know where to start." She admitted. 

"Perhaps it would be easier if I skimmed your mind?" When Adelaide looked alarmed he continued, "if there is a memory you don't want inspected simply do not focus on it as it passes. Let if flow." 

He reached his hand out for Adelaide to take. Charles Xavier didn't need physical contact to read a person's mind. He was simply attempting to ease Adelaide's anxieties by not making her immediately privy to the fact. 

Immediately, Adelaide's memories skimmed by like a movie reel on fast forward.

Flashes from her childhood, both happy and bittersweet, were brought forth so incredibly crisp. She could smell familiar scents, long lost and filed away. Her senses felt like they were on overload. 

Her adolescent years skimmed by unimportantly, there was a lot of sadness through her teen years. For a brief moment she focused on her last memories of her father. Her throat tightened, having to see it so vividly. 

Her memories seemed to slow the moment Steve appeared in her reel. Their first kiss, dates, and happy moments together flowed through her mind pleasantly. She was careful not to focus on her intimate memories with him, simply and purposefully skipping them. It was odd to have that kind of control. 

She froze at the memories the night they were taken. 

It was almost like she could feel Xavier's presence in her mind. She was leading him slowly through every detail. 

He could feel the pain, from the torture of the serum testing. He felt the burn of her lungs when she stopped breathing. He could hear Steve's reassurances and when he wasn't present at all. 

But most importantly, he could feel the moment of conception. And through his ability to bring that knowledge forth in Adelaide's mind, she was made aware of it also. 

It was crushing when she felt the death within her body. 

Her unfocused eyes watered and she let out a strangled sob, startling Bruce. He had watched the events unfold with scientific curiosity. While Xavier's eyes had been shut in a meditative state, Adelaide's had glazed over, seeing and unseeing. 

With bated breath Bruce watched as she silenced still in her trance. 

Xavier was feeling around now, having full reign of the event to examine. He zoned in on the memory of her shattering the glass windows for the first time. He zeroed in on the moment she had unconsciously bent and broke the handcuff that kept her locked in her seat. He analyzed how she nearly strangled Dr. Mann to his death. And then skimmed over the little incidences that followed. 

He left the rest of her memories be. 

They broke apart simultaneously. 

Adelaide opened her mouth to say something multiple times before deciding it best to stay silent. 

Charles Xavier laced his fingers together, elbows bent on the desk. 

"You seem to have a grasp on different areas of telekinetic abilities." He spoke softly. "Glass and metal often have attraction for unrefined talents such as yours." 

Both Bruce and Adelaide remained quiet. 

"What I find interesting," he continued. "Is how you nearly successfully suffocated Yaroslavl Mann. You stopped air molecules from entering his body." 

"Stopped them?" Adelaide's eyebrows shot up.

"Wait, how is that even possible? You can't just stop molecules." 

"You would be surprised, Doctor Banner, by the abilities many of my students have with molecular level energy use." 

Bruce's eyebrows shot up. 

"So what does that mean?" 

"For now Adelaide, it means you have unlocked potential. I believe the time you will spend here will be extremely useful." 

 

Adelaide and Bruce reciprocated relieved smiles.


	26. Purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Again it was harder to map out this chapter. I was very indecisive. 
> 
> So let me know what you think! 
> 
> Comments and kudos always appreciated.
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Sassy.

**Chapter 26. Purpose.**

He was no one. He could be anyone.

He helped shape a century and yet he couldn't shape himself. He only existed.  
He existed for the mission and had no other purpose.

_Purpose._

It was something that never crossed his mind, until now.

He knew the man on the bridge. The strange man who called him by a strange name. He could remember pain. Searing hot pain.

He could remember glimpses of a life.

So he searched.

What he found was a ghost. James Buchanan Barnes.  
The man looked like him.  
He found the man on the bridge as well. Was he a ghost?

What followed after was painful.

Memories came back weeks after. Sometimes they came down like a flood. Sometimes they came as familiarity.

He would dream of violence. Of mothers crying for their children. Of people fearing the end of their lives. For the loss of loved ones.

He shaped a century through death.

It never bothered him until the night he remembered killing an entire town in southern Russia. The bombing was easy. He never saw who died.

What was hard was killing people intimately. He would see the lights leave their eyes. More often than not he could remember the lights leaving the eyes of children.

One woman begged for the life of her baby. Begged on her hands and knees. It was the only time the man before felt anything remotely close to guilt.

Now it haunted him. His soul had been ripped into so many pieces he wasn't sure anything was left.

That was why he traced him down.

 

Hunting was _easy._

_Simple_ , not needing much thought.

He waited weeks. He found him _easily._

Approaching him would be the hard part. He waited for behavioral patterns to emerge.

The man on the bridge was too sparatic. He would leave town and come back. This was only recognizable by his morning runs. Others around him were sparatic as well, except one.

He remembered the girl. He remembered her eyes.

She was different. Her eyes held every emotion as it happened. In some ways he admired it, in some ways it made him sick to see such transparency.

He followed her for a week waiting for the opportune moment. But she was always with someone. She would often walk with a red head. She would walk with different men.

But mostly it was with the man from the bridge and he watched on curiously. The way they behaved was different from how others around her behaved. Then he remembered that they were physically involved.

They held hands, and showed open affection.

He knew then that she would be the target. He just needed opportunity.

When he caught her early in the morning he couldn't believe his luck.

He just wasn't counting on the man from the bridge to arrive.

And now he was being chased.

What was worse; his memories began flooding back like water rushing from a broken dam. Pieces of him began to fit together like a puzzle. The whole picture became much more clear.

He remembered his childhood. He remembered Steve. He remembered happiness and loss and how it painted his life so vibrantly. He remembered the war. He remembered Zolo. Then he remembered falling.

Memories after that were too jumbled. They had no place of order.  
He had no idea that his healing had finally caught up on a molecular level. His brain cells had repaired themselves.

So when he finally came face to face with Steve Rogers again, immense guilt flooded him. He went into shock so utterly crippling that he couldn't remember how he had gotten from a deserted street in Brooklyn to a clinical looking room.

A woman looked on wearily.

Steve stood nearby.

From then on, Bucky only followed through what was asked of him if Steve confirmed it. He only trusted Steve because he was the only constant and trustworthy person he knew. For you can never learn who you are without first defining it through others.

After everything that had been done to him he was weary of human contact.

"Bucky?" Steve always spoke softly these days.

He could only grunt in response. But they both knew he had given his whole attention.

"I'm leaving for the whole day. I wont be here. So Natasha, Clint, and Victoria will be looking after you."

Victoria was a PTSD specialist Tony had enlisted to therapy Bucky back into a normal life. It was a process to say the least.

"Why." He asked it listlessly as a statement rather than a question.  
"I have to go get someone" Steve replied vaguely. 

For as much as Steve spoke and shared with Bucky he kept Adelaide far from the subject. Bucky was too fresh and unpredictable.

"The girl?"

Bucky knew. She was the only face who didn't peer at him curiously through the glass.

Steve's mouth set in a grim line. He nodded mutely.

"I'll be back by tomorrow." Steve stood to leave.

"I won't hurt her, if thats what you're worried about." 

Something in the way he said it, had Bucky's old mischievous ways shine through.

Steve smirked back. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." 

It came out like a knee jerk expression and Steve froze monitoring how he'd take it.

"Can't. You're taking all the stupid with you."

As soon as he closed the door, Steve stood shocked in the hallway. He couldn't move for minutes. He finally broke himself from the trance, walking away in a stupor.

 

Two weeks had flown by for Adelaide. 

In a week she had managed to zone in on how to identify using her powers. It was a hard learning curve that once grasped made everything else a lot easier. 

Charles Xavier was an extremely patient man. Often he would have to demonstrate what she should be looking for by entering her mind and performing the task for her. 

It was odd to have to take the backseat to your own body, while someone else controlled it.

Currently she sat in the training room. 

She starred at the hundred pound weight. For hours she tried so hard to move it. But it was too heavy. 

Charles said it was important to break through self set limitations. 

Anger was an easy trigger. It was important to not rely on emotions to engage your powers. 

She sighed frustrated. 

Maybe she'd ask for another demonstration. 

She looked one last time at the weight. She focused on the metal. It was magnetic.  
She almost scared herself when the weight tossed violently across the room. 

Staggering to stand, she stopped the weight before it smashed against the wall. 

"Holy. Shit." 

Concentrating she focused on bringing the weight back to its original resting place. 

That was the thing about this power. It was nearly an impossible feat to understand. But once it was grasped it was like moving your arm to scratch your nose. Natural and without much thought. 

She was startled when the door opened. 

Xavier rolled in with Logan close behind him. 

"I believe now would be a good time to present the idea of working on your main power." 

Adelaide looked nervously at Logan. 

He intimidated her to say the least. 

"Logan, if you please." 

Logan walked over to where the weight sat. He pushed it aside easily and stood to face Adelaide and Professor Xavier. 

Adelaide watched on horrified as Xavier animated her power. She could see the air molecules that entered Logan's lungs. She could see air molecules transferred through his blood stream into his brain, heart, and other vital organs. 

She zoned in on his mouth, his throat, his lungs. 

The barrier was created. 

Logan immediately looked uncomfortable. After a moment he looked wearily around. 

She was fascinated. She could see as minutes pass. His heart slow. His respiratory system began forcing less activity through out his body. 

He collapsed. 

Adelaide broke the trance with Xavier. 

"That is how far you go with it Adelaide." Xavier spoke calmly. "Any further, brain function will be lost. Further than that you'll kill your victim." 

She walked forward to kneel near Logan. 

"Why would I ever want to use this?" Adelaide voice was fearful. Horrified of what she had just done. 

Logan took a breath violently, nearly scaring the wits out of her. 

"Logan will train with you until you can perform this on your own. Logan's regenerative properties makes it impossible for you to harm him permanently. " 

Adelaide looked at Logan. "I don't want to." She whispered. 

"Suck it up kid. You could be worse off." Logan always spoke harshly to her. He was completely abrasive. 

"Adelaide, it is better to understand the power so you can control it. You are lucky you haven't harmed anyone you care about." He spoke calmly before finishing. "Understanding your power gives you control over it." 

Xavier exited the room, leaving Adelaide alone with Logan. 

She starred at him wearily. 

"You don't like me." She looked him dead in the eyes. 

Logan didn't respond for a while. "You haven't given me a reason to like you." 

Adelaide's eyebrows shot up. She turned to walk back to the spot she had inhabited earlier. 

"I guess I should say I'm sorry." She concentrated on the air near him. 

"But I'm not." 

Luckily for Adelaide, her greatest power came more naturally to her. Luckily for Logan he didn't have to go through the experience of suffocation multiple times. 

Unfortunately for them both, she had managed to collect her bearings for her power so quickly, that she literally sucked the air from him. 

He collapsed and she immediately stopped her assault. 

When he came around she apologized profusely. He brushed them off. 

Logan suddenly had a new respect for the young woman that he would never admit.


	27. Who We Were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 
> 
> I struggled back and forth with where I'd take this chapter. So, in quick explanation I wanted to have Bucky and Adelaide move forward from their own (different levels) or trauma in their lives. 
> 
> Steve juggles balancing the pair. 
> 
> They're going to come to blows. 
> 
> Sorry lovelies. Fair warning. 
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who kudo'd and sorry for the delayed update. 
> 
>  
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Sassy.

Chapter 27. Who We Were. 

 

When Tony Stark revised Stark Tower after the attack on New York, he made sure to add a training space. He made the entire level a pristine, state of the art training facility for super heroes. 

The fact that it was so shiny and new made Adelaide feel bad for damaging a wall. After discovering the dent in the white panel, Stark banished her from using the main training floor for her "wind-guardian leviosa shit." 

 

She sat in the middle of a separate observation training room, after roping Steve into moving three one hundred pound weights to the middle. He was hurriedly ushered out of the room so she could concentrate. 

It took a while for Adelaide to relax herself enough. Steve had joined Bucky on the other side of the glass window, looking on curiously. 

He had never actually seen the improvements to her power. 

Adelaide waited a while, attempting to lift the three as an entity. It was frustrating when she couldn't lift it as easily as she hoped. 

She sent the first one hundred weight, hurdling at the wall. The impact echoed loudly in the room. 

Letting out a frustrated groan, she focused on stacking the weight back to where it belonged. 

 

_Breathe in. Breath out. Pass the limitations you set for yourself._

 

On the other side of the glass, both Bucky and Steve started when the weight slammed against the wall. 

"I've never come across a mutant before." Bucky muttered. He peered on interested. "Is that all she can do?" 

Steve took a while to reply. "She refuses to demonstrate her other power." 

 

All three weights slamming against the wall a moment later, was significantly more frightening than only one. 

Immediately, she turned to smile at Steve. 

He looked moderately impressed. But these days it would take a lot to truly shock him. 

Bucky looked on suspiciously. When he first encountered the young girl, she hadn't made much of an impression. 

Psychically, she didn't pose much of a threat. Without the power, he could kill her within three heartbeats. But now knowing her abilities, he imagined it would be much harder to accomplish such a task. 

He felt guilt slip into his being. 

He still sized those around him to how quickly he could kill them. 

He turned away from the window, walking towards the entrance to the room. Steve immediately followed, reaching over Bucky's head to hold the door closed. 

"I just want to see something." He growled, annoyed his actions were constantly in question. "That would involve asking her to show me." He finished. 

It took a moment for Steve to release his hold on the door. Bucky opened it swiftly, nearly knocking Steve in the face. He smirked at the thought. 

Adelaide immediately whirled around, confused as to why they had come in. Bucky's stare unnerved her. 

"Do it to me." 

"What?" Both Adelaide and Steve questioned simultaneously. 

"My arm is made of metal. I want to see if you can hold me down." 

Adelaide looked at Steve, her eyes wide. 

"Bucky." It was a warning. 

"What if I break your arm?" Adelaide asked wearily.

"Adelaide." 

"Stark seems competent enough to fix it, although I doubt you'll be able to." Bucky's cocky smirk tested Adelaide's patience. 

 

Bucky's personality had shifted entirely, in Steve's opinion. Often there would be glimpses of what once was, but from seventy years of working for Hydra, his person had changed drastically. 

He had always been naturally protective. But now that protectiveness had turned to self preservation. Playfulness was now tactical prodding. There was no warmth in his actions. 

Steve knew he was testing Adelaide's weaknesses. 

 

Before he could protest once more, Bucky flew violently against the wall. Adelaide held her hand in front of her as a guide, focusing on his left arm. 

For Adelaide, it seemed impossible for her to move flesh and blood. But Bucky's arm was full metal. She smiled at his shocked expression. 

It was met with cold eyes, sharply focusing. 

She watched him engage the extra strength from his arm. She struggled then to hold him. He pulled himself free a moment later. 

But it was only a moment before he was thrown forcefully against the wall again. 

"Adelaide!" Steve shouted and she released the hold on Bucky. Their eyes met for a long moment. 

Adelaide turned quickly to leave the room. 

 

"That wasn't as impressive as I was hoping." 

"What the hell was that?" 

Bucky now chose this moment to return to his steely silence. 

"You did it to see if she was a threat to you." Steve seethed. 

"Turns out she's not." 

Steve slammed Bucky against the wall violently. Bucky's expression watched on listlessly. It was a silent challenge. 

He released Bucky turning to leave the room, stopping at the threshold. 

"It can't be like this Buck. You have to make peace with the fact that no one in this tower wants to hurt you or use you." 

He left then, leaving the soldier on his own. 

 

"How was training?" Natasha asked loftily. 

Adelaide sat brooding in the main living space. Natasha sat to her right on a separate couch, flipping through a magazine. 

"Bucky interrupted. But I was able to move three hundred pounds." 

"Interrupted?" 

"He insisted I attempt to pin him down. Steve got mad." 

Natasha smirked. 

"It's not funny." 

"He thinks you can't kill him. Maybe you should have used your other power." 

Adelaide sunk further into the couch. Trust Natasha to suggest suffocating someone to prove a point. 

The elevator binged procuring a fuming Steve Rogers. 

"I assume that ended well." 

"I'm not in the mood Natasha." Steve plopped on the other side of Adelaide. 

"How many times do we have to tell you? He's not going to be the Bucky from before. He actually lived the seventy years, even if he was in and out of cryo-sleep. It's a life that changes you Steve." 

The silence stretched on for some time.

 

"Это был бы позор, чтобы оставить позади красивой трупа." Adelaide spoke quietly, nearly pronouncing each word in perfect Russian. 

Steve and Natasha snapped to look at Adelaide. 

"It's what he said to me. My memories have been getting clearer lately." 

"When did he say that to you." Natasha spoke roughly. 

"The day he approached me at Central Park." She murmured. "What does it mean?" 

Natasha looked at Steve a moment before speaking. "It would be a shame to leave behind a beautiful corpse." 

The silence stretched on. 

"He said that because he didn't want to be found." Adelaide looked at Steve while speaking this. "Steve I know you're scared that maybe one day he'll disappear or do something you can't forgive. But" she paused. "He's a man that's been the most free he's been in over seventy years." 

 

That incident had been nearly three months ago. 

 

Steve's disembodied voice speaking to her, brought her out of her revere. 

"You okay?" 

She nodded in response adding "fine" at the last second. The headset she wore felt heavy on her head and the straps that held her to the seat was too familiar for her comfort. 

Adelaide, Steve, and Bucky flew across the Pacific Ocean somewhere closer to Mexico. The helicopter lowered closer to the surface of the water. No land could be seen for miles. 

Both Steve and Bucky sat up simultaneously, signaling to Adelaide it was drop time. 

Although it was loud from the noise of the blades and open hatch door, Adelaide still managed to yell loud enough to the pair. 

"I don't remember signing up to be an Avenger." 

"Neither did I, but here we are." Bucky smirked, gesturing grandly at the helicopter. 

Adelaide sighed, turning her back to pull off her t-shirt. It revealed a red bikini top, that resembled a sport bra more than anything. She pulled at the wet suite tied around her waist to zip it up. 

Steve threw a stern look at Bucky when he starred too long at her back. He returned the look with another relaxed smirk. He was beginning to enjoy teasing Steve for a reaction. 

Adelaide sat at the edge of the helicopter adjusting her Stark breathing apparatus. Steve stood near her. 

"Stay close and don't break the surface until we do it first." 

Adelaide rolled her eyes. They had already agreed on the precautions beforehand. The team had disassembled to chase different leads on Hydra locations. Adelaide tagged along, now strong enough to hold her own. 

With her apparatus securely strapped and adjusted, she smiled up at Steve. 

"Didn't say anything about getting into the water first." She lifted her rear off the side and gracefully plummeted to the ocean below. 

Her name, said sharply by Steve, made her laugh. Once her helmet calibrated, she dove further down following the designated path. She could hear the crash of two bodies breaking the surface far above her. 

"Slow down Adelaide." 

"I need a head start, you both will definitely swim faster than me." 

She could hear Bucky's chuckles echo in her helmet. 

Soon enough the pair had flanked her, keeping pace. 

"Is this the fastest we can go?" Bucky complained. 

"Wait for it." Adelaide engaged her pack, laughing when it lurched her forward much faster to the ocean floor. "I don't care what anyone says. Stark makes some pretty cool things." 

She monitored the hologram on the glass window of her helmet. It took nearly twenty minutes for them to descend enough to reach a cave. 

"Joy more enclosed spaces." She backed off to let Bucky lead. When Steve swam past her, he grabbed her hand giving it a squeeze. 

Adelaide looked up as the cavern seemed to open up. She could see light above her indicating they had found the under water base. 

"It's a clever place to hide." Adelaide spoke quietly hovering, having turned off her pack. The bubbles would have given them away. 

"Heat signatures showing seven guards posted." Bucky no longer had a playful chirp in his tone. 

"I need to get closer." Adelaide swam a few feet closer to the surface. Steve grabbed her ankle to prevent her from getting too far. 

She focused on the closest body within rage. It was hard envisioning her power without a manifestation of who she was attacking. Luckily it made it easier to watch the heat signatures displayed for her. 

She smiled to herself when the victim in question made quite the spectacle of collapsing. 

They watched as people began surrounding the first man who had fallen to the floor. She focused on attacking two more while Bucky and Steve swam to the surface. 

They broke the surface, quickly engaging the distracted group. Adelaide watched uninterested as they took out the entire group easily. She was instructed to stay in the water until she was signaled for a safe surface break. 

"Clear." Came Steve's voice. 

She kicked her way to the surface, climbing over rocks to get to where the pair stood. She placed her helmet and pack down next to Steve's and Bucky's in a hidden crevice. 

Bucky was already slinking down the hallway, gun in hand. Steve followed by Adelaide. They made their way quietly through the maze of hallways. 

Both Steve and Bucky had memorized their route from the gathered intelligence. This Hydra base was for weapons specialists. Taking it down would be a huge hit at their armor. 

Adelaide watched as Bucky broke the neck of a guard who had rounded the corner. She winced, still not used to the efficient deaths of enemies put in their paths. 

They came quietly to a main factory room. 

"Remember there's seven minutes on the timers for the bombs so hide them, and let's get this done." 

Bucky nodded, already on the move to get to the furthest area of the factory. Adelaide moved to the right, sending Steve a reassuring glance as they separated. 

She crawled easily through crevices setting the bombs as instructed. As she crawled out from the space after setting the last bomb, she grinned uneasily at the Hydra agent that had a gun pointed at her head. 

"Hands in-" 

She stole the breath from his lungs before he could make any more of a ruches. She pulled his body into the crevice he caught her crawling in. 

She could hear a shout coming from a different direction. 

"Jesus, here we go." She muttered running down the direction she came from. She kept her head low as she heard gun fire and shouting. As she rounded the corner where she had split off from Steve and Bucky, she watched as a man was thrown off the balcony to the factory floor below. 

She touch activated her earpiece closer to her skull. "Did they all get activated?" 

"Just got my last one activated." 

"Bucky, you hid it on the body." Steve complained. Adelaide looked below again noticing the red light that flashed back at her. 

"Adelaide, go. We're behind you." Steve instructed.

She turned on her heel to briskly walk down the hallway back to the ocean entrance. She gasped when she turned to find five men pointing their guns at her. 

"Hey guys." Adelaide greeted. "Heads up." 

She pined the guns to the ceiling far from their reach. It was easiest to take out the first two, since they were distracted. 

Against three brawny men, Adelaide was no good at close combat. Her powers were better off long range. She kicked the first man in the chest hard enough for him to topple to the ground. 

She held him to the floor with her right hand hovering, using his guns and mask to anchor him. 

Next, she focused all her attention on the last two men. In her desperate need to evacuate the area she vacuumed the air straight from their lungs. She glanced away, as both of their chests collapsed. 

She jumped when a fire arm rang. 

The man pinned to the floor was dead, and not by her hand. His head lulled to the side as blood began to pool near it. 

Her head snapped to the right to see Bucky reload his firearm. He stepped over the body carelessly as he carried out the act. 

"Let's go." 

She was relieved when Steve appeared latching the shield to his back. 

The trio had no further interruptions as they made their way back to the ocean's entrance. They hustled to gather their breathing apparatuses and packs. 

A bullet ricochetted off a nearby wall. 

"There goes the other shoe." Steve muttered quickly dislodging his shield. 

Bucky had already had his gun out shooting at the guards. Steve stood in front of Adelaide protecting her with the shield. 

"Shit." 

Adelaide watched as the pack she had been holding receive multiple gun holes, thoroughly ruining the apparatus. 

"Steve!" 

She screamed in surprise, as he hooked an arm around her waist throwing her to water level below. She broke the surface with such force, if she hadn't been already wearing her helmet, she was sure she'd have gotten some kind of head trauma. 

A moment later a pack broke the surface plunging into the deep water with her. She caught it before it could sink further and kicked to the surface. 

She was momentarily caught off guard when Bucky's voice echoed in her helmet. "Go. We've only got three minutes until this place blows." 

The gun fire had been muffled by her own hearing in the helmet. But with Bucky engaging the communication system she could hear the fight crystal clear. 

"There's only one pack left." 

Adelaide's anguish could be heard echoing into both men's ear. Steve was the first to shut off his comm. 

"Bucky, take the pack and go." 

"Are you insane? I can't leave you." 

"You're a faster swimmer than Adelaide, you'll be able to pull her to the surface faster." 

"I'm not leaving you." Bucky ground out. 

"I can hold my breath longer than you. I'll be fine. Take the pack and go. I'll take care of them." 

The pair locked eyes from the separate shelters they had taken. It momentarily hid them from the onslaught of bullets flying through the air. 

"I'm right behind you." Steve assured. 

Bucky nodded once tossing Steve his gun. Once catching it, he immediately shot three men down. With the barrier of firearms breeched, Steve sprung shield drawn to take out the rest of them. 

Bucky grabbed his helmet and the undamaged pack, and dove into the water. He wasn't surprised when Adelaide still floated at the surface stubbornly. After adjusting the helmet and pack he forcibly dragged her under the water, opening the comm system again. 

"He's behind us, common." 

The pair glided through the water as quickly as possible. Adelaide watched nervously as the hologram ticked off the time left on the bombs. As soon as they cleared the cave Bucky stopped, pushing her away from him. 

"Swim to surface don't stop until you break it. Call in our ride. Go." 

There was no room for arguing and Adelaide allowed the thrusters to push her back to the surface. 

"AGUA patch me through to our pilot and send our coordinates." 

The monotone female voice flitted uselessly through her helmet. Adelaide could barely concentrate. Her thoughts had been scattered the minute Steve threw her into the water. 

She listened listlessly as the pilot confirmed the pick up. 

Right before she broke the surface, the entire ocean seemed to reverberate. Adelaide gasped, knowing that the bomb had detonated. 

"Bucky?" 

She called out. The silence that responded was deafening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never did like cliffhangers... 
> 
> Kudo? Comment?


	28. The Big Red Door.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this, kudo'd, and commented! 
> 
> I really appreciate it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think
> 
> XOXO 
> 
> Sassy.

Chapter 28

 

Bucky waited by the mouth of the cave watching the time tick by anxiously. He remembered when exiting a mission alive completed, was all that mattered. Whoever he left behind was of no consequence. 

The Winter Soldier had no loyalties. 

James Buchanan Barnes on the other hand, was glaringly human. His heart raced as he floated. He feared that Steve wouldn't make it out. It made bile rise in his throat. 

Steve Rogers, the skinny kid he grew up with. 

The man who became an American Icon, leading the Howling Commandoes against HYDRA. He inspired an espionage organization and then tore it down when it became corrupt. 

He was the only human on this planet who could ever understand what Bucky went through. They were brothers. 

Under the living legend, Steve Rogers was still just the kid who could never run away from a fight. That quality spoke to those who came close enough to form a relationship with him. 

He thought of the woman hundreds of feet at the surface of the ocean. 

"Bucky." Steve's voice echoed in his helmet. All activity in Bucky's brain stopped, before going into overtime.

"I'm waiting for you at the mouth of the cave." 

Steve didn't reply. They both knew that wasting the trapped oxygen in his helmet wouldn't do anyone any favors. 

The pair met and Bucky engaged the jet, hoping it would get them to the surface faster. He watched nervously as the clock counted down the last fifty seconds. He had to put enough distance between them and the explosion. 

Thirty seconds. 

They were swimming as fast as they could, glancing nervously at each other. 

Fifteen seconds. 

When the explosion happened, it reverberated through the ocean. Steve was only glad they had made it to open ocean and were no longer near the cavernous terrain. 

Underwater, even an explosion of great magnitude could only cause so much damage. The devastation was kept at ground zero. But the shocks sent from the explosion interfered with the technology engrained in the helmets. 

The holograms on the glass shields disappeared, any form of communication was impossible for the time being. 

Regardless of how fast they were moving, AQUA had estimated thirteen minutes to surface break before the helmet shutdown. The jets had also powered down. Luckily for Bucky, the oxygen system seemed to still be working. 

A luck that didn't seem to be shared with Captain Rogers. 

A regular human could only hold their breath at five minutes maximum before passing out. They had passed the five minute cap long ago and Steve was still swimming strong. 

But it was obvious he wouldn't hold up much longer. 

Bucky could only hold firmly onto Steve's forearm. He could see the water becoming lighter as the sun was able to permeate the surface. Steve started going limp in Bucky's grasp. 

The helmet stuttered to work suddenly. The holograms shifted and numbers flew across the screen. It re-calibrated, greeting him cheerfully. 

"Open comm." He verbally engaged the system. It took a while but the computer affirmed the tethering of helmets. 

 

"Adelaide!" 

"Bucky?" Her anxiety and surprise flitted through the speakers. 

"Where are you?" He was closing in now to the surface. He glanced nervously at Steve watching his eyes flutter closed before becoming fully limp. 

"Hovering above the water. The helicopter made it." She replied. 

"Lower it as much as possible. Steve needs to get out first." 

It took another minute for them to break the surface of the choppy water. Immediately, Adelaide and the co-pilot were lifting Steve out of the water. Bucky grabbed the railing hoisting himself up behind him. 

Adelaide yanked his helmet off pressing her ear to his chest. She moved her hand over his throat closing her eyes. If she could steal air, she most definitely could force it somewhere else. 

Steve's chest expanded immediately as a result. Adelaide could feel his body hastily distribute the oxygen to much needed organs. The team waited with bated breath for a few minutes before Steve groggily opened his eyes. 

No one said anything as his eyes darted around. He sat up gingerly. 

He cracked a smile. "That was fun." 

It was the breath of life that animated the other members of the helicopter. 

Adelaide collapsed on Steve wrapping her arms around him tightly. He smiled wrapping his own arms around her gently murmuring reassurances into her ear. 

Bucky shook his head. Steve's eyes snapped up to look at his friend sheepishly. 

"Punk." Bucky muttered, helping Steve stand after Adelaide released him. They sat strapping themselves in, so the helicopter could take them to American soil. 

Adelaide held Steve's hand firmly, and he soothed her by rubbing his thumb rhythmically across it. 

Adelaide hoped missions wouldn't continue to be so traumatic.

But over the next few months it seemed they only became more so. 

Often, Adelaide would switch out with Sam. Sometimes, Bucky would join Natasha on a mission. Adelaide joined with Clint and Natasha on a mission once. But the majority of the time she asked not to go in favor of staying with Dr Banner, Pepper Potts, and Tony Stark at the tower. 

She was uncomfortable with the fatalities. 

No matter how many people lost their lives to her. No matter how many times she reminded herself that if the situation were reversed, they would not hesitate to kill her. No matter how good it would be for a world free of Hydra. 

It only got harder killing her enemies. 

Not because she couldn't, she didn't even hesitate anymore. It was the guilt that followed when she returned home. The guilt she tried to burry deep so no one would know. 

 

It felt like a shaken soda bottle. She was going to burst soon, but when was unpredictable. 

 

Adelaide sat on an uncomfortable hotel bed. The walls had peeling wallpaper and the air smelled like stale water. Her eyes darted around the room assuming somewhere in the walls, there was mold growing. 

"If only I had a black light." She mumbled. 

"Relax princess. We're only here for a couple of hours then we move on." 

Adelaide glared at Bucky's head. He was adjusting the tie to his suite, before slicking back his hair. She rolled her eyes. 

She fiddled with the laptop in front of her. "You look fine." She grumbled annoyed he kept adjusting himself. 

The door clicked and Adelaide whipped her head to look at it, prepared to attack if necessary. She noticed Bucky grab the gun placed in front of him on the vanity. 

Natasha appeared with a dress bag in hand. Adelaide relaxed turning back to the system in front of her. It didn't escape her notice that Bucky watched Natasha's movements as she headed to the in suite bathroom, locking the door. 

That was filed away for later prodding. 

"Here." She tossed his communication device to him. He opened the case and placed the tiny piece on the inner part of his ear. Virtually unnoticeable to the naked eye. 

Natasha exited the bathroom dressed in a slinky black dress and dark haired wig.

"These undercover get ups are your favorite." Adelaide accused. 

The red head's only response was a broad smirk. She picked her comm box up, placing the piece in her ear as well. 

"Shall we?" She smiled at Bucky. 

The pair were the only ones on the team that could speak perfect fluent Russian. They were infiltrating a society party attended by all kinds of wealthy people. The objective was to detain a politician who sympathized with Hydra. 

"Steve's in place?" Natasha asked Adelaide. 

"Yup." 

The pair headed for the door. Bucky opened the door for Natasha. Before closing it he couldn't resist teasing Adelaide one last time. 

"Don't let the bed bugs bite." 

She glared at him, throwing up a certain one fingered gesture. He laughed locking the door. 

Adelaide let out a hough of air. 

"Alright, JAVIS let's see everyone." 

Her Stark phone projected holograms of each member's locations.She sat back against the pillows. 

 

 

It was past midnight when a well dressed man was tossed on the roof of a very expensive building in Moscow. 

"Let's make this easy for you Yozhov." Bucky spoke dryly. "Tell us where we can find where Hydra's base is in Moscow, and we'll let you walk out of this." 

The older man with his salt and pepper hair spat in Natasha's face. 

His pride didn't last long. 

A metal hand grabbed the back of his head, and kicked the inside of his left knee. He stepped on the back of his calf roughly and the crack that followed echoed in the night air. His scream was muffled by Bucky's human palm. 

"Sorry did I break it?" 

There was a slur of curse words directed at the Winter Soldier then. Natasha stepped forward grabbing his pocket hanky. She wiped his saliva off her face gracefully, seemingly unfazed. 

She lurched forward and grabbed a hand full of his hair yanking his head back forcefully. "Do that again and I'll find something else useful to break." 

She tossed the wig behind her shoulders, "Tell me where the location of the Hydra facility housing Joseph Jean Moscow is." 

To emphasize Natasha's point Bucky put pressure on the broken shin bone. Yozhov howled in response. 

"Pull him up."

Bucky yanked the man to a standing position. She smiled at him before pulling his phone out of his pocket. The smartphone glowed in response. 

"You've got a kid?" 

Yozhov chuckle turned dark then. "Not above killing children?" The Russian he spoke came out rough and pointedly. "Your reputation precedes you, Black Widow." 

Natasha glanced at Bucky. 

"I would presume," he continued. "That the girl you left behind, on the fourth floor of the hotel, might be of some value." 

He chuckled when Bucky put pressure on the fracture. 

"You see, we keep a close tab on all hotel check-ins in the immediate facility. Your faces caught the attention of the staff, who of course, alerted us. I'm afraid your little friend wont last long."

"Is that so?" The Winter Soldier smiled. 

"Did you get that Adelaide?" Natasha held the piece closer to her ear in order to hear better."

 

Adelaide smirked, watching the security camera system JARVIS had hacked. Five men, one sealed stairway, and she already had the head over them? Too easy. 

She had to stop herself for a minute. Who was she anymore? 

She slipped off the bed to pack up the laptop and supplies. After zipping it she walked through the door, carelessly allowing it to slam close. Checking her Stark phone one last time, she opened the door to a maids closet, shutting herself in. 

The anxiety that built up almost make her hysteric. She had to stop herself from giggling. She waited until she heard the door to the stairwell open. 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. 

She opened the door after the fifth body passed the door. 

"Gentlemen." 

 

She smiled when they all whipped around to look at her, having no idea what they were shouting at her.

With a roll of her eyes, she shot all the weapons from their grasp. She was getting good at this. 

Scanning her audience she narrowed in on her target. Immediately, four men began gasping. One even went as far as to thrash wildly around. She smiled gently at the sole survivor. 

"They're alive. They just wont wake up for a while. What I just did to them is a bit traumatic to the body." 

She took a step forward, only imagining what she must have looked like to him. 

"I know you speak english." She murmured. "Do you know how painful it is to suffocate to death?" She took a deep breath in, remembering Natasha's coaching. 

"That very moment the body can no longer handle the lack of oxygen, a euphoric feeling will save you from a painful death. But that would be too easy." 

She concentrated, the finesse in this technique was going to take a lot out of her. She breathed with him synchronizing their patterns. Then she began to slowly pull away his oxygen flow. 

The fear in his eyes reflected in hers. 

 

She could almost feel the pain of his burning lungs. His eyes fluttered as he clattered to the floor. His lungs expanded then and he was rushed back to clarity. They locked eyes. 

"How long do you think you'll last? I can do that over and over again." She took another step towards him. 

"Where is the Hydra base located?" 

He shook his head, so she repeated the process twice. 

"But you and I both know even if you make it out alive they'll kill you. Your boss will spin it that you ratted, to save his own sorry ass. I'm sure they can be much more creative with a traitors death." 

Once more his breath was stolen. 

"We can make it look like Yozhov told us. You'll just look like an innocent ambushed by your target, just like the rest of your team." 

He shook his head again and this time she repeated the cycle five times. She had to remove herself from the situation when he started sobbing. Her mind felt as if it were the bystander of her actions, looking on while someone else did the work. 

"Four blocks east. Red door." He muttered finally. 

"Steve?" She held the comm system closer to her ear. 

"Got it."

"Thank you." She smiled, and this time she made sure he found his euphoria. 

 

Natasha knocked Yozhov so forcefully over the head that he went limp in Bucky's grasp. He slumped to the ground, when the soldier stepped back easily. 

"Useless." He muttered. 

 

Steve waited full costume and cowl. The infiltration had to be now before Hydra caught wind of what was happening. When the quartette reassembled, everyone loaded up on weapons. 

"Natasha you take the main computer. We need to save any information we can get on other locations. Adelaide you go with Bucky make sure you destroy anything and everything within your reach. We're tearing this place apart nothing stays in tact. I'll track down Joseph-Jean Moscow, he'll definitely have more information on Hydra. He gets out alive for questioning." 

Everyone nodded knowing their roles. 

"So how do we get in?" Natasha asked. 

"Knock on the big red door." Adelaide deadpanned.


	29. Monsters and Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the month long hiatus. I had major exit plot writers block. A good story needs an end so this is the lead up to the end. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> XoXo
> 
> Sassy

**Chapter 29. Monsters and Men.**

"Morality is rooted in the purity of our hearts." -Gandhi

To taint that purity is to understand where the animal is and where the man exists. 

The animal knows how to survive. 

The human questions the quality of it's survival based on others. 

 

James Buchanan Barnes pulled the trigger and if Adelaide hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes she may not have believed it. 

 

But there he was. Not much older than eight years old with a bullet wound in his chest. He was gasping for air and his eyes had watered. 

The noise around her suddenly didn't matter. She collapsed on her knees by the boys side. They locked eyes when the light left his. 

She hadn't realized she was crying. 

She hadn't realized she had been chanting "no". 

 

She gasped as her world refocused. Thoughts that had been scattered refocused painfully. 

She was a shaken soda bottle. Wobbly, she stood to her feet. 

"He was just a kid." She whispered. 

"He was going to pull the trigger." 

She turned, her brown eyes accusing him freely. 

"You took the kill shot." 

"So he could have another chance to kill one of us?" 

"So he could have a chance." She ground out. 

She hadn't been in the room to witness the event. As she walked down the hallway she only saw Bucky quickly draw his weapon and fire. It was only when she entered the room did she see the boy fall to the ground. 

"He would have pulled the trigger." He spoke unfazed, almost annoyed she was even questioning him. 

"You're the Winter Soldier." Her voice was quieter now. "You could have disarmed him." 

"I did." 

A bottle could only take so much pressure. 

The soldier's body was thrown forcefully across the room, slamming against the plastered walls loudly. He groaned quietly. 

They locked eyes, both varying in different intensities. He made the first decision. His knife was out quicker than she managed to see his human arm make the move. 

It sliced through the air cutting her left cheek. She gasped, a hand immediately flying to cover the wound. 

Hell broke lose in the basement. 

A trained mercenary, with a powerful prosthetic battled an enraged mutant. No one was around to stop either of them. 

As soon as her concentration was scattered he was on her tackling her to the ground. 

Adrenaline has such a way of allowing one to see things more clearly. He barely had time to reach for his knife before he was thrown off her. He anticipated it, this time slicing her shoulder as he was sent back against the wall. He hit it, but was able to slide away quickly. 

A chair flew at him next. A large metal one from the opposite wall. He had attacked her left arm knowing it was her preferred method of concentrating with. Now she was only mobile with her right arm. 

The Winter Soldier had spent many hours watching her for weaknesses. 

She screamed in frustration when he dodged it easily. He yanked her with his metal arm shoving her against a nearby wall, fist full of her hair. He pulled and she gritted her teeth. 

She shoved an elbow back multiple times to a soft spot near his ribs. He didn't release her, even when she began thrashing around in anger. 

 

Natasha was idly collecting all of the hard drives when she noticed a commotion on the security cameras. She looked up watching the full sequence of the fight.

"Shit." 

She moved double time securing all the collected data into a duffle bag. The door slammed open as she left the labs located two floors down from street level. 

"Steve we're switching, I'll take Moscow."

"Why?" 

She rolled at the authority that flitted through the comms device. 

"There's an incident happening at basement level." 

By now she had pulled open the door where Steve stood near a detained and unconscious Joseph-Jean Moscow. 

"You take the tantrum, I'll watch over him." 

Steve's eyebrows knitted together. "What's happening?" 

"Bucky and Adelaide." Natasha didn't even need to finish her sentence. Steve was rushing out of the room full speed to the staircase. 

 

She finally had her control back. It had only taken a blow to the head, two slices to her shoulders, and one to her left cheek. Bucky's gun clattered to the far end of the room. The idea that he even pointed it at her, enraged her. 

Her mind was only white noise. 

But her body knew exactly what it was going to do. 

 

Air began leaving his chest slowly. It was so agonizingly slow that it took him a moment to realize he was feeling short of breath. Then it came on him like a title wave. 

He gasped for air that wouldn't be coming to him. 

 

What Steve Rogers found in the basement took a moment to absorb. The lifeless body of a boy, the blood pooling down Adelaide's arms, and Bucky who had fallen to the floor face contorted in pain. 

"Stop Adelaide." He spoke loud enough for her to hear, if she were listening. 

She made no indication of acknowledgement. 

He walked quickly up to her, fearing for Bucky. He grabbed her gently. 

But even for as gentle as he tried to be it still startled her. Simultaneously, Bucky heaved a gulp of air, while Steve was knocked back shield first. 

It broke the rage. Only remnants of fizzled out anger seeped through her. 

Grief and guilt now took over. 

 

Steve pushed himself up from the ground quickly. Adelaide's eyes were fluttering in an attempt to stop from tearing. 

"He." She gasped, "Bucky. I'm so." Her eyes darted to meet Bucky's. 

He killed the boy. 

I attacked him first. 

Bucky I'm so sorry. 

It was all what she was trying to say. But her emotions were muddling her mind. 

Xavier had warned her of this. The power emotion has over her abilities. Unfocused, uncontrolled emotions can easily spill over and guide ones actions. 

Her hands covered her face, sliding into her hair. Her breath came out in quick gasps. Tingling sensations traveled through her body. 

Various small items around the room began bending loudly, most of them with metal components. A light bulb smashed, darkening the room. 

Steve grabbed Adelaide again. 

"I can't control it." She gasped. 

"She's having a panic attack." Bucky murmured. 

"Addie, take a deep breath, relax." Steve spoke soothingly attempting to reach her. 

"I cant." She shook her head. "I can't." 

A loud cranking noise shifted above them, and a water pipe burst. 

"Take a deep breath just like Susan said." He tried again. "You have control, you can do it. Just relax." 

Adelaide squeezed her eyes shut, gripping Steve's wrists. She knew she wasn't going to be able to calm herself. So she did the only next logical thing she could think of. 

She locked eyes with Steve as she pulled oxygen swiftly from her own lungs. No barrier was created. It was almost like scooping the right amount from the body. Immediately her eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed. Steve pulled her up before she fell to the ground. 

 

Adelaide's eyes fluttered open not much longer after the fact. She was calmer now. It took her a while to realize she was being carried. A second after, voices came back into focus. 

"He did the right thing." Natasha spoke. "I was that age and the red room already had me in training. He would have pulled the trigger without a second thought. Kids are always more brutal. That's why they start us so young at killing." 

Steve nor Bucky replied. 

Natasha only continued. "I know a kid that was born into this life. She was made just to be a weapon for Hydra. She was killing by seven." 

Adelaide turned her head away from Steve's chest. It hadn't occurred to her that he was sitting now. They were in a quinjett. Steve looked down as soon as she moved. 

"Where's the first aid?" Bucky's voice was oddly controlled. 

"There" Natasha had pointed from her co-pilot seat to where it was. 

No one said anything as Steve ripped the shoulder seems of Adelaide black tee. He held the shirt in place to preserve her modesty. Bucky opened the kit searching for what he needed for wound care. 

He poured alcohol on the slices and dabbed at her cheek disinfecting the cuts. She tried her hardest not to cry out. Luckily, they were only well executed slices and nothing too severe that required stitching. He had been in control the entire time. 

He bandaged her shoulder with gauze and placed a large square band aid to cover the slice on her face. 

"You'll live." He muttered. 

 

Adelaide, who averted her eyes the entire process, glanced up quickly to meet his. "I'm sorry." She whispered. He said nothing only patting her cheek once before moving away. 

 

The next week was spent avoiding each other completely. 

In Bucky's mind, Adelaide's reaction surfaced troubling sides he was coming to terms with. Part of him stayed up at night with the guilt of killing a young boy. The other, the soldier, lived his waking hours without much thought given to it. 

The first night back for Adelaide had her tossing and turning. Her entire being was wracked with guilt. Why hadn't she arrived sooner? Why had she attacked him? She shouldn't have attacked him, there was nothing to gain from it. 

It was effecting all aspects of her life, even Steve.

Steve Rogers definitely did not agree with the actions committed in that basement. But for all of his soothing to his girl, even he couldn't come to terms with what had transpired. 

 

"This is the location." Natasha pointed out. 

Tony Stark sat idly on an opposing couch, swirling scotch in a glass cup. Bucky stood leaning against a wall in the far corner. Barton and Adelaide sat on the same couch with an appropriate distance. Steve stood closest to the screen, memorizing the details. 

"Moscow swears that this is where Mann's research was being," Natasha paused looking at her audience, "expanded upon." 

 

"So we dispatch then." Barton concluded. "How soon?" 

Steve turned too look at him, "How soon are you ready to leave?" 

Clint smirked. 

"I assume you'll want another Jet?" Stark replied loftily. 

"Not coming?" Natasha spoke up, hands on her hip. 

"I'm not really into this whole spy kids set up you've got going on." Stark stood, "But help yourself to my equipment." 

"The Maserati?" 

"Not a chance." 

They smirked at each other and there was a lull in between Stark leaving the living space. 

"I" Adelaide spoke up quietly. Steve turned to look at her as well as Barton and Natasha. She shook her head, and Barton swiftly stood to leave the room followed by Natasha. 

No one was really sure when Bucky slipped out. 

Adelaide looked at Steve earnestly. "I'm done." It was spoken quietly. "I don't want to do any more missions." 

Steve moved to where she was sitting. Suddenly remembering the conversation that had her going on missions with them. He urged her to go with him on what was supposed to be a solo mission. He knew that with the talents she was given, even under less than ideal circumstances, had a greater use. 

Even Xavier agreed with that mentality. A world quickly populating with extraordinary people was going to need them for extraordinary purposes.

"I'm not a soldier. I'm not a spy. I'm not even really a mutant, I was just a carrier. I don't even know how I was even supposed to handle all of this."

Her eyes glistened with rare unshed tears. 

It broke Steve's heart because he knew it was true.

There was a difference between having to choice to accept power, like Steve and having it thrust upon you. Regardless, it was still a responsibility. 

She looked at him. His only response to her admission was somber guilt.

"I don't want to disappoint you."

Their eyes met then.

"There's no way you could." 

There was silence for a while before continuing. 

"Maybe while you're gone I'll go to my mom's."

The alarm that flashed across Steve's face startled Adelaide.

"Not for good!" She quickly remedied. "Just for perspective." 

Steve nodded. He kneeled in front of where she sat. At eye level, she felt mesmerized by how blue his eyes were and how earnestly they reflected his emotions. 

"You'll come back?"

"I'll come back." She confirmed. 

He nodded, palms reaching to cup her face. "I'm sorry."

She smiled sadly, "none of this was your fault. Any of it. It was out of our control and we deal with it the best we can." 

He kissed her then. Thoroughly, slowly, with every ounce of affection he had for her.

"Come back to me." She whispered. Something often passed between the two before missions.

"Always."


	30. The Final Attempt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Lovely Readers, 
> 
> Thank you for giving my story a chance. For the time spent reading it, the lovely reviews, kudos, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> Its the end. 
> 
> I'm a sucker for even numbered chapters!
> 
> Thank you so much again!
> 
>  
> 
> xoxo  
> Sassy

**Chapter 30: The Final Attempt.**

“I give you this to take with you:  
Nothing remains as it was. If you know this, you can  
begin again, with pure joy in the uprooting.”  
― Judith Minty, Letters to My Daughters

 

Even if we feel we were victim to the circumstances in our lives, we must not deny change. It is one of the hardest lessons we face. Revisiting old memories is like traveling to a different country, foreign but reminds you of everything that we call home. 

There is no backpedaling in change. 

Steve Rogers had learned that the hard way. Countless nights after his awakening were spent agonizing over the inevitable. 

So he changed his ways and made a real attempt to live his second chance. 

While this new life was hard, much harder than the world he had left behind. It was full of over stimulants, lack of moral values, and a changing humanity, much more dangerous than before. 

But there was also good. 

Good people, living hard lives, but ultimately striving for something better. 

There was also a huge silver lining for Steve Rogers. 

He never would have met it, and therefore never would have missed it had he lived the life he originally intended for himself. 

Now, he couldn’t imagine a life without her. 

And for Steve Rogers, an old fashioned man, that only equivocated to one thing. 

 

He stared out one of the many windows that lined the quinjet. He had been mulling over these thoughts since they had left New York city this morning. They were closing in on their drop point, and he stood rigid anticipating what must be done. 

Part of him still sat idly by, observing the unfolding events. He wanted nothing more than to go home, be with his girl, and escape even just for a day. 

But ultimately selfishness wasn’t in Steve Rogers’ nature. What they were about to do would help the greater good. 

 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Bucky murmured next to him. 

Steve turned his head in acknowledgement. 

 

 

Adelaide felt a sense of dread as she approached her mothers home. Most of the lights had been dimmed, which was odd since it was dusk. 

Since her change, she felt more in tuned with her sixth sense. It was something Xavier attributed to her telekinetic powers. 

_Your mind has been reborn,_ he described, _it is operating at a higher functioning rate than previously capable._

When she pulled to car to a stop she got out, quickly abandoning her luggage. 

She used her copy of her mother’s key to open the front door wearily. 

“Mom?” She called out. 

It echoed throughout the large home to no answer. 

She knew what she was walking into the moment she stepped over the threshold. 

_Why? Why had it come to this?_

Since Rumlows’ original threat to her mother she had been expecting it. Anticipating it even. 

That was the difference between her and the rest of the Avengers. Most had someone special, a known and open weak spot. But no one had family, innocent people who had not openly chosen to be related to someone in the line of fire. 

She slowly made her way through the house checking all the rooms. She walked into the back room. Her instincts told her that’s where they were.

Yet, she still wasn’t ready for what met her there. 

Her mother was bound and gagged. The side of her cheek was bloodied. 

Adelaide did a full sweep checking for any other injuries. Her anger overcame her. 

“You break into her home and strike her? Yet you still have the gall to stare me down?” 

Five weapons were pointed at her. 

Instantly they clattered far away from them to opposite ends of the room. 

“Your intelligence has done a shit job.” She seethed. 

_Six?_

She whipped around to see a man standing behind her. 

He was tall wearing a bulletproof vest, his dark eyes and light hair contrasting. But it wasn’t what startled her. 

It was in his all too familiar eyes she found dread. 

They were cold, emotionless, and dehumanized. 

 

 

It was once said, during the cold war, that one man placed in the right situation would be more effective than an entire army. 

 

The warehouse had been easily infiltrated by the Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier. 

It was purposefully done so. 

Natasha stared down in horror, at the man frozen in a cryotube. 

“They made more.” She whispered. 

“They made more.” Bucky confirmed. 

The problem for Bucky Barnes was admitting that during his time with Hydra he was completely absent. 

He wasn’t. 

His conscious mind had taken a back seat. Like a movie goer at the theatre. He had no control over the reel played in front of him. 

After his escape his mind had gone into shock. His cells worked rapidly to fix the brain Hydra tried so hard to destroy. 

Now he was him, fragmented, changed, and made jaded, like anyone else after a long hard life. 

Strips from his movie were still being placed. 

What was before him was one of them. 

 

More soldiers, not perfect like Steve. But made in his image, tweaked for Hydras purposes. 

Like the Winter Soldier they had shaped a century. They were all one-man armies, fighting for Hydra’s cause. 

“One’s missing.” Barton grunted. 

 

 

He knew her weakness. 

He exploited it. 

Hand to hand combat was not what Adelaide was made for. 

 

She ducked and swerved attempting to free some space for herself. She concentrated on avoiding the cold eyed soldier, while slowly ticking off his roster sheet of help. 

On accident, she killed the first three. 

He was too fast, but it was obvious he could care less what happened to the help. 

He grabbed her by the pony tail throwing her across the room. 

She could hear her mother scream into the gag. 

She saw stars. But her muddled mind still had instinct. 

 

She felt out for the last three men in the room collapsing their lungs violently. 

 

The difference between a fight with Bucky, was that she never wanted him harmed beyond repair. 

These people threatened her mother, they threatened her. 

They paid their price. 

 

 

It happened all too quickly, while they were discussing how best to rescue the two men in cryosleep, when they were attacked. 

“Captain America!” A woman’s voice called over the battle. 

“I’m such a fan.” She smirked. 

The pair had been separated and Steve thought she was odd to say the least. She looked over to where Bucky fought off two men easily. 

“Look at him, he’s a beast.” She purred. 

Steve waited stiffly. 

“He is the best of our creations. I’m afraid we want him back.” 

Natasha was knocked to the ground, which momentarily distracted Bucky. He narrowly missed a bullet wound. 

Steve was sure his answer was written all over his face. 

“For a trade of course dear.” 

 

Adelaide had her mother barely untied when she felt it. The sharp blade piercing her back purposefully missing any vitals. She gasped, the pain was excruciating. 

 

Her mother screamed in horror. 

“Mami run!” She gasped. 

The blade was ripped out of her back. She screamed in agony feeling the already damaged flesh take on more lacerations. 

 

 

Steve starred in horror, realization dawning on him. 

“I’m afraid she’ll bleed out poor thing.” 

She was ripped off her feet and slammed against the wall in a matter of minutes. 

“How soft the underbelly of weaknesses are, hmm?” She smiled coyly at her. 

“Even with a power as great as hers, she wouldn’t really stand a chance. She wasn’t trained as ruthlessly as my boys were. You babied her.” 

“I’ll kill you.” Steve threatened. 

“Oh I’m sure. But for every head you cut off, two more will take its place.” She giggled as Steve slammed her viciously against the wall. “There are many others that would be happy to take my place. Your revenge will taste bitter.” She cooed. 

“But,” She smiled, “she can be saved. Hand over the Winter Soldier, have him come quietly, and my man will take the girl where she can be healed.” 

 

 

 

He was going after her mother, and through her pain she fought. She yanked him back by the bulletproof vest to the floor, pinning him there. She innately found the metal properties lined within the vest. 

“Run Mami!” Adelaide squealed. Begging her mother with her eyes. Her mother refused, walking over to one of the bodies. 

 

 

Steve had thrown her across the floor in his anger. She whooped with laughter. 

“Madame!” A voice cried. Steve hadn’t noticed the small boy working on the computer consul in the room. 

“His vital signs.” He trailed off. 

The look of fury was all Steve needed. He broke her arm in the heat of his rage as revenge and knocked her unconscious with his shield. 

With the fall of their leader, the soldiers followed not long after. 

Natasha extracted all of the bases files, before planting a virus on the mainframe computer. 

“Thanks to Stark, that’ll slow Hydra down.” Sam smiled clasping hands with Barton. 

With two cryotubes in tow they burnt down the warehouse. 

Steve was anxious to get back home. 

 

 

“Where were you!” Steve looked affronted as a finger dug painfully into his chest. 

Bucky chuckled behind him, fully enraptured with the scene unfolding. Adelaide’s tiny mother stood on her tip toes assaulting Steve with violent threats. He looked terrified. 

“And you!” Bucky froze. “Do you think my baby in the hospital is funny?” Her spanish background harshly accented her words. 

“No ma’am.” Bucky returned. 

The withering look that was returned to him, left him uneasy. May it be forever noted that Adelaide’s mother stroked fear in the Winter Soldiers heart. 

 

Steve rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly escaping Otillia Collins, who was now fixated on ripping Bucky Barnes a new one. 

He slipped quietly into Adelaide’s hospital room. 

His heart melted when she smiled at him. 

“Your mom’s scary.” Natasha commented. She was seated in a club chair next to Adelaide, looking comfortable as a cat. 

“She shot him twice in the head without a second thought.” Adelaide murmured. “Claiming it was her motherly duty.” She shook her head wistfully, wondering how this all had become normal. 

“Remind me, not to piss her off.” Steve muttered walking up to her bed, and leaning to kiss Adelaide’s forehead chastely. “Well more than I already have.” 

“It’s not your fault Steve.” Natasha and Adelaide chorused as soon as the guilt seeped into his expression. 

He nodded grimly. 

 

It was the beginning of summer when Adelaide and Steve finally got time off. With the fallout of SHIELD and Hydra, it was hard to catch a break. 

But with the warmth of early summer the pair escaped to the coast. 

Tony Stark nearly kicked them out of the tower, with the key to his Hampton's home shoved in Steve’s chest. 

“I don't want to see you two lovebirds for a week. Jarvis note that and don’t let them through security if they attempt coming back early.” 

Adelaide smiled thankfully at Tony, knowing full well Pepper was behind his generosity. 

“Thanks Tony” Adelaide smiled, hugging him. 

“Yeah yeah, happy anniversary and all that cute stuff.” He leaned over to Steve. “Don’t get her a giant teddy bear.” He whispered, much to Steve’s confusion. 

 

The next day, they were waking to a beautiful, sleepy Hampton's. Steve did his usual morning run, and was happily surprised to come back to warm, fluffy pancakes. 

“Aw,” he cheesed, “I woke you up doll, I’m sorry.” 

Adelaide shook her head, smiling. “That’s okay we’re on vacation, therefore I can take lazy afternoon naps.” 

Steve shook his head, trying to remember a time he needed as much rest as she did. 

They ate and chatted happily, and Steve gave mock protest at being taken to the beach. Thankfully Stark’s property allowed them a stretch of private coast area. They laid out a blanket and reclined enjoying the sun. 

Unbeknownst to Adelaide, as she took off her cover up to apply sunscreen, Steve looked on mischieviously. He never applied sunscreen anymore. His cells regenerated too quickly to burn. 

He gave her a break letting her finish applying. Just as she finished she leant up to stretch, and with that Steve dropped his book, and plucked Adelaide off the sand. 

“Steve!” Adelaide shrieked, startled that he had lifted her in the air. 

He laughed easily as he ran towards the surf. 

“Steve no! Steve bad!” 

He swatted at her bikini covered posterior, which didn’t go unappreciated. Diving them both into the water, Steve sniggered as Adelaide caught her bikini top at the last second. 

She quickly triple knotted the top, before sending a glare in his direction. 

 

“Who ever said you were as innocent as apple pie was sadly misled!” She protested splashing water in his direction. 

He feigned hurt, placing a hand over his wounded heart. She shook her head at the audacity of it all. Smiling he waded over to her. 

“But you have to admit it was fun.”

 

She sighed, “I suppose there are worse things than Captain America throwing you over his shoulder.” She smiled relenting. 

He leant down to kiss her and she sighed into it. 

The skin on his back was warmed by the sun, and yet his face was refreshingly cool. It was an enjoyable mix and Adelaide tugged him closer. 

His hand wrapped around her waist, the other skimmed her back. His explorations faltered when he felt the scar on her mid-back. He broke the kiss, tapping his forehead against hers. She smiled brightly at him, catching his hand and bringing it to her lips to kiss. 

They frolicked in the sun the rest of the day, taking breaks to lay in the sand. Adelaide made good on her afternoon nap and Steve carefully monitored her, moving the umbrella as needed. 

In the evening, Steve cooked dinner and they enjoyed it al’fresco with wine. 

Steve smiled gently, when he noticed Adelaide was buzzed. He envied it, a light buzz was all he ever felt, and never for too long. He figured now was as a good time as any. 

“You’re acting weird.” Adelaide giggled. 

“Me? Weird?” He chuckled nervously. 

“Yeah, you think I don’t notice it. But I do. You’re a terrible liar.” She quipped. 

He sat silently across from her. It was a pregnant pause that made Adelaide uneasy. 

“Do you remember when you asked me to move in with you?” It was a delicate subject and he had to tread carefully. 

She nodded slowly, “I think its a bit too late for that.” She laughed awkwardly, deterred by the determination on his face. 

“I want to move to Brooklyn.” He stated. Adelaide froze. “I want you to come with me.” 

“Leave Stark Tower? But why?” Adelaide was completely at a loss. Stark Tower was a good gig. Since the fall of SHIELD Steve didn’t have a job, and although he had frugally saved his paychecks from his time with SHIELD, it wouldn’t be much to live on. 

They’d have to get jobs.

Or rather, Adelaide would. She couldn’t imagine Steve Rogers working a normal nine-to-five. 

She bit her lip nervously. 

“I already bought a place.”

“Bought?” Adelaide stuttered. 

“We’d just have to pay utilities, but Adelaide it would be our own home.” 

She looked strangely at him. He leant forward to grab her hands. This required him getting off of his chair to kneel near her. 

“So you’re asking me to move in with you?” 

“Actually,” He reached into his back pocket, producing a small black box. Adelaide’s mouth opened and her eyes grew wide. 

“Adelaide.” He took a deep breath suddenly nervous. “Each problem we ever faced, kept cementing the fact that if I ever lost you, I would be utterly destroyed. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.” He smiled at her hopefully. “I could have never imagined this life in a million years, and now I can’t picture it unless you’re in it with me, doll.” 

There was a pause and Adelaide realized with a jump in her heart, that he was utterly and totally sincere. This was actually happening, he was proposing to her. 

“Your mother and grandfather gave me permission.” He opened the box and Adelaide’s hands flew to her mouth. It was a timeless, intricately designed gold ring with a yellow diamond in the middle. 

“Adelaide Collins, will you marry me?” 

Tears gathered in her eyes and with horrible realization she was a blubbering stereotype. She nodded feverishly, sliding off her chair to the floor with him. 

“Yes!” She gasped, and he smiled sitting her on his knee. He took the ring out of the box, slightly fumbling and nearly having a heart attack when he almost dropped it. More gracefully he slipped the jewel onto her left ring finger. 

She looked at it mesmerized and then looked at him even more so. 

The only thought that flitted through her shocked mind was: How did this happen to me? 

He smiled her favorite iridescent smile, his blue eyes sparkling. 

“I love you Steve Rogers.” She murmured. 

He laughed open-heartedly, lifting her into the air and spinning. “I love you Adelaide Collins.” 

“Collins-Rogers?” Her eyes narrowed playfully, testing the hyphenated waters with him. In the forties co-last names were unheard of. 

“Collins-Rogers.” He affirmed, kissing her so hard it knocked the wind out of her lungs. 

 

Nothing ever remained the same with the pair. 

They were presented awful tribulations. Moments of hardships and pain. But they always conquered. They loved each other fully. 

 

Happy endings and long marriages in this society are rarely ever achieved. But that’s the thing about vanilla, it’s timeless and reliable, just like their love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It over! It's finally over!
> 
> I mulled this ending over for over a month. Honestly I was planning to kill Adelaide off. But I can't make this a tragedy. I believe Steve Rogers needed a steady, reliable, fulfilling love. Here was my spin on it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Thank you for your patience and time spent reading thirty chapters!
> 
> Look out I have another story brewing!
> 
> SO, keep an eye on the Steve Rogers/Original Female Character tag or even little ol' me! 
> 
> XOXO
> 
> Sassy


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